Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to implement the proposals in its 2018 response to the Green Paper on Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision.

Jackie Doyle-Price: On 20 December 2018, the Government announced the first wave of 25 trailblazer sites which will trial all three elements of the proposals in the Green Paper.The first mental health support teams are due to be fully operational by the end of 2019. 12 of the sites will also pilot a four-week waiting time to speed up children and young people’s access to National Health Service mental health services. In addition, the Department for Education will fund a significant new training programme for designated senior leads for mental health in schools and colleges.The NHS Long Term Plan confirmed the commitment to roll out the proposals to at least 20-25% of the country by the end of 2022/23, subject to learning from the first wave. We are in the process of confirming the next phase of trailblazers.

Food: Japan

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of the safety of potential food imports from Fukushima in Japan.

Seema Kennedy: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for protecting United Kingdom consumers from the risk of radioactively contaminated food being imported from Fukushima in Japan. The FSA oversees risk-based controls to ensure food is safe, and regularly assesses safety data on radiation levels to ensure UK consumers are protected. The FSA is satisfied that the current risk is very low and the controls are effective.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultant-led acute mental-health beds there have been in the NHS in England in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The NHS England collection KH03 collects the number of available and occupied beds open overnight that are under the care of consultants. The data in the table should be viewed in the context that since 2013/14, many trusts have started classifying an increasing number of mental illness beds as non-consultant-led. This is because some mental health services are now run by multi-disciplinary teams rather than consultants.The number of acute consultant-led mental health beds in the National Health Service in England is shown in the following table. The table may not include all of the following types of bed - adult secure mental illness; adult secure learning disability and autism; adult eating disorder; child and mental health service Tier 4, including eating disorder; perinatal and neuropsychiatry.Prior to 2010-11 the KH03 was an annual return collecting beds by ward classification. Data for 2008-10 is shown above the line in the following table.PeriodNumber of available consultant-led mental illness beds2008-0926,4482009-1025,503Q1 2010/1123,515Q2 2010/1122,929Q3 2010/1123,740Q4 2010/1123,607Q1 2011/1223,253Q2 2011/1223,208Q3 2011/1223,016Q4 2011/1223,121Q1 2012/1322,550Q2 2012/1322,269Q3 2012/1322,496Q4 2012/1322,268Q1 2013/1422,109Q2 2013/1422,025Q3 2013/1421,931Q4 2013/1421,731Q1 2014/1521,750Q2 2014/1521,618Q3 2014/1521,446Q4 2014/1521,374Q1 2015/1618,569Q2 2015/1619,249Q3 2015/1619,273Q4 2015/1619,086Q1 2016/1718,928Q2 2016/1718,821Q3 2016/1718,750Q4 2016/1718,422Q1 2017/1818,460Q2 2017/1818,353Q3 2017/1818,282Q4 2017/1818,082Q1 2018/1918,395Q2 2018/1918,311Q3 2018/1918,389Q4 2018/1918,369

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average length of occupancy of consultant-led NHS acute mental-health beds has been in each year since 2009.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultant-led NHS acute mental-health beds there have been per 100,000 population in each year since 2009.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultant-led NHS working-age adult acute mental-health beds there have been per 100,000 population in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is not held in the format requested.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a duty on healthcare providers to measure the time taken to admit informal patients to a mental-health bed after a clinical decision to admit has been made.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a duty on healthcare providers to measure the time taken to admit patients who require detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 to a mental-health bed after a clinical decision has been made for admission to an acute mental-health bed.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The interim ‘Clinically-led Review of NHS Access Standards’, published by NHS England in March 2019, confirmed that a number of sites will be field testing new standards for timely access to urgent, emergency and acute mental health pathways. As part of this, consideration will be given to the time taken to admit as well as the practicalities of introducing such standards, such as whether they can be measured robustly in national data sets and whether there might be any unintended consequences.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to provide additional resources to designated places of safety in order to reduce the number of patients breaching the 24-hour statutory detention target.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients held in designated places of safety have breached the statutory 24-hour detention target in each year since 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In 2015, the Government announced a £15 million capital funding programme to improve health-based places of safety provision and in 2017, the Prime Minister announced a further £15 million to support a wider range of places of safety in the community. This funding has been provided to increase the number of places of safety across the country which is helping to reduce the inappropriate use of police cells for detentions made under Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Projects led by NHS trusts and foundation trusts, local government and the voluntary sector were awarded the funding. Data is not held on the number of people in a place of safety that have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 for longer than 24 hours.

Addictions: Health Services

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to return addiction services to NHS commissioning; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the commissioning of addiction services by local authorities.

Seema Kennedy: There are no plans to return addiction services to National Health Service commissioning. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions on the provision of addiction services based on the needs of their local population. We are investing over £16 billion in local authority public health services over the five years of the 2015 Spending Review until 2020/21. Public health funding for 2020 onwards, including for addiction services, will be considered carefully in the next Spending Review, in the light of the available evidence.No formal assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the commissioning of addiction services by local authorities. However, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) routinely carries out reviews of residential substance misuse services and community substance misuse services. The majority of residential substance misuse centres and community substance misuse centres commissioned by local government have been rated good or outstanding. Public Health England provides local authorities with a range of data, guidance, tools and bespoke support to help them in their ongoing work of commissioning addiction treatment services. There were 121,332 people who exited the drug and alcohol treatment system in 2017 to 2018, with 48% (58,718) having successfully completed their treatment, free from dependence.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of mental-health bed admissions have taken place under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each year since 2009.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of working-age adult mental-health bed admissions have taken place under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of available HRT medications in England; and if he will make a statement.

Seema Kennedy: The Department fully understands that maintaining access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medications is vitally important to many people in this country.The Department has well established processes to manage and mitigate the small number of supply problems that may arise at any one time.We are aware of ongoing supply issues with some HRT preparations due to manufacturing delays. We have been working closely with all suppliers of HRT medicines to maintain overall supply to patients and we have provided regular updates about the supply situation including clinical guidance to the National Health Service.We will continue to work with affected suppliers to resolve the supply issues as soon as possible and to ensure supplies of HRT products continue to remain available.

Mental Health Services: Mothers

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of identification of maternal mental health problems during maternal postnatal checks.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has not made any such assessment. NHS England is commissioning further work to establish a clearer picture of current practice.

Mental Health Services: Mothers

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the role of GPs in identifying and treating perinatal mental health problems in mothers.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has not made any such assessment.

Mental Health Services: Mothers

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for children by identifying and supporting new mothers with mental health problems.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This Government is committed to preventing mental illness and improving health outcomes for new parents and their children. The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment for a further 24,000 women to be able to access specialist perinatal mental health care by 2023/24, building on the additional 30,000 women who will access these services each year by 2020/21 under pre-existing plans. From April 2019, new and expectant parents are able to access specialist perinatal mental health community services across England. Specialist care will also be available from preconception to 24 months after birth, which will provide an extra year of support (care is currently provided from preconception to 12 months after birth).

Healthy Start Scheme

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the take-up rate of Healthy Start vouchers.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We are developing a digital approach to Healthy Start, which should make it easier for families to apply for, receive and use Healthy Start benefits. As part of the digitisation process, we are developing and testing an online application form to replace the current paper form.

Healthy Start Scheme: Yorkshire and the Humber

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families are in receipt of Healthy Start vouchers in (a) Barnsley Central, (b) Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not held in the format requested.

Royal Liverpool Hospital

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on the reasons why demolitions have recently been carried out at the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust is working closely with Laing O’Rourke and external advisers in undertaking a fully-costed assessment of all the works needed to complete the new Royal Liverpool Hospital. This includes significant works required to fix the structural issues and defective works that have been identified following the termination of the private finance initiative contract in 2018. This assessment will be set out in a business case, which the Trust intends to submit to NHS Improvement and the Department for approval soon. In the meantime, preparation work is already underway by Laing O’Rourke.

Tobacco: Nicotine

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of encouraging manufacturers to reduce levels of nicotine in all cigarettes to reduce dependency.

Seema Kennedy: No such assessment has been made. The European Union Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) sets the maximum nicotine emission level at one milligram of nicotine per cigarette. The United Kingdom transposed the TPD through the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR), which came into force on 20 May 2016.The Government will meet its obligation to review the TRPR before 20 May 2021 and will also review where the UK’s exit from the EU offers us opportunities to re-appraise current regulation to ensure this continues to protect the nation’s health.

Tonsils: Health Services

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of CCGs and NHS trusts setting higher thresholds for NHS treatment of tonsillitis than for private treatment.

Seema Kennedy: The Department has made no such assessment. Tonsillitis can usually be treated either with self-help at home, or in a primary care setting. In certain circumstances, a tonsillectomy may be required. Regardless of the type of provider, clinicians are also expected to use their clinical judgement when deciding how best to treat a patient, based on the presenting symptoms. Clinical commissioning groups, who are responsible for commissioning most non-specialised, secondary care services, set their own criteria regarding the thresholds for National Health Service-funded tonsillectomy, taking into account any relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines or good practice guidance.

Immunotherapy

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which NHS trusts offer immunotherapy; and for which (a) indications and (b) ages of patient.

Seema Kennedy: The following centres are able to provide chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia for children and young people up to the age of 25:- Great Ormond Street Hospital;- University College London Hospital;- King’s College Hospital;- University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust;- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust;- Manchester Royal Infirmary;- Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital;- Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Birmingham); and- Great Northern Children’s Hospital (Newcastle).The following centres are able to provide CAR-T for adults with large B-cell lymphoma:- University College London Hospital;- King’s College Hospital;- University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust;- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust;- Manchester Royal Infirmary;- Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham; and- Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Immunotherapy

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of immunotherapy.

Seema Kennedy: When an immunotherapy treatment has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), all relevant providers are required to implement NICE’s guidance and make the treatment available for patients on the National Health Service.The NHS Long Term Plan sets out our commitment to making safer and more precise treatments, including advanced radiotherapy techniques and immunotherapies, available on the NHS to support improvements in survival rates.

Immunotherapy

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether the level of availability of immunotherapy is consistent with the objectives of the NHS Cancer Plan.

Seema Kennedy: Availability of immunotherapy drugs happens via assessment at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). As they follow the same NICE process as other cancer medicines then all relevant providers are required to implement them in the same timelines as with any newly approved medicine.

Prisons: Maternity Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the maintenance of NICE standards on antenatal services in prisons.

Jackie Doyle-Price: People in prisons should receive the same standard and access to National Health Service healthcare treatments and care as people in the community.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published quality standards on antenatal care (QS22) and antenatal and postnatal mental health (QS115). NICE quality standards are concise sets of statements designed to drive quality improvements within a particular area of care and cover the NHS, public health and social care. The Department does not have any arrangements for monitoring the uptake of NICE quality standards centrally as they are not mandatory, however health and care commissioners are expected to take them fully into account.NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons in England. It is working closely with Public Health England and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service on a review of how current practice meets the gender specific standards for women in prison to improve health and wellbeing, published in March 2019, which include standards around the care of pregnant and post pregnant women.

Pregnancy: Prisoners

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions officials in his Department have held with the officials from the Ministry of Justice on ensuring the maintenance of his Department's nutritional standards for pregnant women in prisons.

Jackie Doyle-Price: No such discussions have taken place.The Government wants to ensure that staff working with women in custody and the community have clear and concise guidance on how to deal with female offenders. We have therefore developed the Women’s Policy Framework which details the mandatory actions necessary to support women in custody and the community.In addition, the Government has developed a comprehensive document on ‘Caring for Perinatal Women in Prison’. We have consulted with Birth Companions, a leading charity in this field, on the production of this guide and incorporated much of the material that they requested be included.

Prisoners: Depressive Illnesses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) pregnant women and (b) new mothers in prison have reported symptoms of depression.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England has confirmed that this information is not collected centrally.

Ophthalmic Services: Staff

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to have eye clinic liaison officers deployed at (a) Royal Stoke University Hospital and (b) all hospitals in England with ophthalmology departments.

Seema Kennedy: The Government recognises the profound impact that sight loss can have on a person’s life and the important and valuable role that Eye Clinic Liaison Officers can play in supporting patients at the point of diagnosis of sight loss and beyond. For those newly diagnosed with sight loss, access to information about appropriate support and rehabilitation services is vital.Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning all secondary care ophthalmology services, including eye clinics and their staffing. Decisions on the provision of services that meet the needs of their local population should be made locally, rather than at a national level.NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that Royal Stoke University Hospital currently employs two part-time members of staff to deliver the Eye Clinical Liaison Officer role.

Heart Diseases: Screening

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a national screening programme for structural heart diseases.

Seema Kennedy: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has not formally reviewed the evidence for a national screening programme for structural heart disease. However, the UK NSC welcomes new topic proposals through its annual call for topics from September to December each year. Information on how to submit a new proposal can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure equitable access to less invasive treatments for structural heart diseases throughout the regions of England.

Seema Kennedy: The NHS England Specialised Cardiac Improvement Programme is working to streamline pathways for patients so they can access specialist teams able to offer advice on the full range of treatment options supported by evidence of effectiveness and long term patient outcomes.NHS England Specialised Commissioning considers it is important that patients are aware of all treatment options and this includes access to less invasive treatments, where clinically appropriate. NHS England is currently considering less invasive interventions for structural heart disease as part of its 2019/20 clinical policy pipeline.

Cancer: Children

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in the devolved regions on recent changes in rates of cancer involving children to ensure reductions in all parts of the UK.

Seema Kennedy: Health and social care, including cancer treatment and care, is a devolved matter. As such, no discussions are currently planned.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings in The evaluation of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol report, published by NHS Scotland in June 2019, that alcohol sales in Scotland have dropped during the last year, while they have risen in England and Wales.

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2018 to Question 169474 on Alcoholic Drinks: minimum unit pricing, when Public Health England’s review into the impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol will be published.

Seema Kennedy: The Government takes the harms associated with alcohol abuse very seriously and overall consumption of alcohol in England and Wales is on the decline.There are currently no plans to implement minimum unit pricing in England. However, we will keep this under review as evidence emerges from Scotland.

Department of Health and Social Care: G4S

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) value of contracts his Department has awarded to G4S since July 2013.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department has held no formal contracts with G4S since July 2013. Records show calloff expenditure of £455 in financial year 2014/15 in relation to security for the World Dementia Conference.

Dental Services: Closures

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dental practices have closed in (a) the UK, (b) Hampshire and (c) Portsmouth since 2010.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time taken is for NHS England to recommission dental practices following the closure of a practice.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent trends in dental practice closures in Portsmouth on patient access to dental services in that city.

Seema Kennedy: Data on the number of dental practice closures in England or on the average time between a practice closing and, where it previously held a National Health Service contract those services being recommissioned is not held in the format requested. This answer covers England only as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for dental services, along with wider health services, in their respective administrations.NHS England has a legal duty to commission primary care NHS dental services to meet local needs, and as part of this duty completed a comprehensive service needs assessment of Portsmouth in 2017.NHS England identified Portsmouth as an area requiring additional dental activity/capacity to meet patient needs, and as a result has put in place longer term plans to procure new dental services, as well as working with existing Portsmouth dentists to provide additional capacity in the area to treat patients.

Prescriptions: Fraud

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of prescription fraud in the 2017-18 financial year.

Seema Kennedy: The loss to the National Health Service caused by prescription fraud was £162 million in 2017-18, as assessed by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority in the 2019 Strategic Intelligence Assessment.

Prescriptions: Fraud

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money the NHS Business Services Authority has reclaimed from prescription fraud in the 2017-18 financial year.

Seema Kennedy: We have assumed that the hon. Member is referring to the recovery of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) by the NHS Business Services Authority. In 2017-18, the NHS Business Services Authority’s Prescription Exemption Checking Service, collected £19.4 million against PCNs issued.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions Penalty Charge Notices were withdrawn in the 2017-18 financial year; and much those withdrawals amounted to in fines.

Seema Kennedy: The information is not held in the format requested.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money the NHS collected from prescription prepayment certificates in the 2017-18 financial year.

Seema Kennedy: The net cash receipts collected from prepayment certificates during the 2017-18 financial year is £145.6 million.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the administrative cost to the NHS of collecting prescription charges.

Seema Kennedy: The annual cost to the NHS Business Services Authority of administering National Health Service prescription charges is around £75,000 per year. This figure covers the work of NHS Prescription Services, which includes the reimbursement and remuneration of dispensing contractors in England on behalf of the Department and NHS England. It does not include the work of the NHS Business Services Authority’s ‘Loss Recovery Service’ which involves checking prescription form exemption declarations, issuing Penalty Charge Notices and managing associated customer contact.

NHS: Staff

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on his Department’s ability to bring forward and implement the NHS Workforce Plan.

Stephen Hammond: The NHS interim People Plan was published on 3 June 2019, it puts staff at the heart of National Health Service policy and delivery and sets out a shared vision and the actions the NHS will take now and over the long term to meet the challenges of supply, reform, culture and leadership. A final People Plan will be published soon after the conclusion of the 2019 Spending Review.This is a priority which the Government is committed to delivering regardless of the manner in which we exit the European Union.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Drugs

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 269609 on Spinal Muscular Atrophy, if he will place in the Library a copy of the managed access agreement.

Seema Kennedy: The Managed Access Agreement for nusinersen for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy which has been approved by NHS England, Biogen, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the three main patient groups (Muscular Dystrophy UK, Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK, Treat SMA) and clinicians can be found at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-ta10281/documents/committee-papers-2

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Drugs

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 269610 on Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Drugs, what the maximum length of time is for the period of further data collection.

Seema Kennedy: The Managed Access Agreement (MAA) for nusinersen for treating spinal muscular atrophy states that the data collection will be in place for a minimum of three years and up to the automatic expiry of the MAA on the fifth anniversary, unless the MAA expires earlier as a result of the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s reappraisal of nusinersen.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Drugs

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 369611 on Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Drugs, what estimate he has made of the number of patients affected by the NICE announcement of 15 May 2019.

Seema Kennedy: NHS England and NHS Improvement have estimated that circa 630 patients will access nusinersen over a period of five years, which is the maximum period of the Managed Access Agreement.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Angus

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Angus receive universal credit.

Alok Sharma: As of May 2019 at a Local Authority level there were 4,400 people on UC (at the constituency level it is 3,835) The latest available information on the number of people on Universal Credit by parliamentary constituency and local authority is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Universal Credit

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people applying for an advance claim for universal credit receive the payment (a) on the same day as their application, (b) on the following day, (c) within two days, (d) within three days, (e) within four days and (f) after four days.

Alok Sharma: The data requested is not held. We aim to pay advances on Universal Credit within 72 hours. However, an advance can be paid on the same day to the claimant, where necessary. Applications for a Universal Credit advance can be made in a number of ways: in person, by telephone and also online. To identify and collate the total number of applications made would incur disproportionate cost. Consequently, we do not hold the information requested.

Universal Credit

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for universal credit have been closed due to the claimant not responding to an email or online request broken down by length of time in each year since its introduction.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not held by the Department. The following table shows the number of claims closed and reason for closure for both new claims prior to payment and claims that were in payment:http://qna.files.parliament.uk/qna-attachments/964153/original/Universal%20Credit%20claim%20closurer%20reasons.pdf

Universal Credit: Prisoners' Release

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for universal credit from prison leavers have been (a) turned down and (b) delayed due to lack of ID in each year since its introduction.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people leaving prison had ID verification interviews in JobCentre Plus centres for universal credit applications in 2018.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of prison leavers who applied for universal credit through a work coach have received an advance payment on the day of release in each year since its introduction.

Justin Tomlinson: Currently, we cannot identify and collate data on prison leavers on the Universal Credit platform in a systematic way. Due to this, we do not hold the information requested. We are committed to gathering better data to support claimants with complex needs and have prioritised this as part of the wider work programme for Universal Credit, anything we do will be introduced incrementally and would be broad across complex needs rather than focusing on one particular group. DWP and MoJ are working closely to deliver an improved Universal Credit claim process for prison leavers. We continue to work collaboratively with MoJ to explore options to overcome a number of issues, including the use of prison documentation as proof of identity for Universal Credit claims. We also continue to explore options for claims to be made via telephony channels. At present, there are various ways in which a claimant can verify their identity for Universal Credit purposes: online using the gov.uk verify service; in person using primary and secondary ID verification or; by using biographical questions, for those who do not have identity documents.

Universal Credit

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the reasons for unsuccessful applications for universal credit.

Alok Sharma: Where claim closure is considered, a number of checks are conducted before claim closure is undertaken. The assessment we have made of the Universal Credit Full Service claims that were declared in January 2019 is as follows: Applications were unsuccessful and closed prior to the first payment for a variety of reasons. These include ineligibility, nil entitlement, insufficient evidence, claim withdrawal and non-compliance with the Universal Credit process. For claimants that need support with their Universal Credit application, the Citizen’s Advice Help to Claim service is available, offering tailored, practical support online, over the phone, and face-to-face.

Shared Housing: Utilities

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 266836 on Shared Housing: Utilities,  if she will place in the Library the Valuation Office Agency’s guidance for Rent Officers in making deductions for services and facilities from the local rents used to determine the 30th percentile of the Shared Accommodation Rate.

Will Quince: There is no current plan to place the guidance in the House of Commons library as The Rent Officer Handbook is already available online via www.gov.uk. Specific guidance for Rent officers in relation to these deductions is accessible under the heading ‘Ineligible services’ in the following location: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rent-officer-handbook-lettings-research/lettings-research-recording. The full Rent Officer Handbook can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/valuation-office-agency-rent-officer-handbook.

Universal Credit

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants submitted a DS1500 form during that application process in each year from 2016 to 2018.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants received universal credit payments through the special rules for terminal illness route in each year from 2016 to 2018.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants who submitted a DS1500 form met with a work coach during that application process.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants who applied for universal credit died within six months of having their application rejected in each year from 2016 to 2018.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants using the standard application route have been rejected and subsequently applied under the special rules for terminal illness route.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to supporting those with health conditions, and ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for all claimants, including those with a terminal illness. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.

Employment Support Allowance

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of employment support allowance in each year since 2010.

Justin Tomlinson: I would like to refer the Hon. Member to the Department’s published benefit expenditure information, which can be found in the public domain:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019.

Universal Credit

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of revising her Department's guidance notes for the DS1500 form.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department’s recent work to revise the guidance notes section of the DS1500 was completed through DWP standard processes and incurred no additional costs to the public purse.

Personal Independence Payment

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her Department's policy to process mandatory reconsiderations for personal independence payment claims within 15 working days.

Justin Tomlinson: Mandatory reconsideration (MR) decisions are made without delay, but the focus is on making sure that the decision under dispute is thoroughly reviewed not on how long it takes to review it. We are engaging with stakeholders to explore how we can improve the MR process. We have recently implemented a new approach in PIP which includes contacting claimants, where appropriate, to see if there is information that would enable us to change the decision ourselves. To support this, we are investing additional time for communication, evidence gather and review – including providing time for claimants to provide more information - which means that some cases can take longer. However, this approach supports our aim - to make the right decision as early as possible - so claimants don’t need to progress to the appeal stage.

Department for Work and Pensions: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department offers employees a payroll deduction to enable staff to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: In 2016 DWP launched a payroll savings scheme with credit unions to allow staff to start automatically saving through their payroll. This was launched by their Welfare Reform Minister at the time Lord Freud.DWP has made arrangements with three credit unions to offer a savings facility and other financial services to employees and payroll deductions can be made from salary into each of these. 4512 employees have so far joined one of the three credit unions.

Local Housing Allowance

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing local housing allowance to the 30th percentile point for current market rents in each size category of dwelling.

Will Quince: There are no current plans to extend or maintain the Benefit Freeze after March 2020. Specific decisions on how to uprate the Local Housing Allowance from April 2020 will form part of the discussions in support of fiscal events later this year.

Debt Collection

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 269123, the total amount of civil penalties her Department has issued in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: A £50 Civil Penalty may be imposed by both Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Local Authorities where an individual incurs a recoverable overpayment as a result of failing to provide accurate information as part of their benefit claim or in connection with an award of benefit, and has not taken reasonable steps to correct the error. The table below shows the volume of Civil Penalties applied in the 12 months from July 2018 to June 2019*. MonthCivil Penalties AppliedJul-186,600Aug-187,300Sep-186,800Oct-188,900Nov-188,900Dec-187,500Jan-1910,600Feb-1910,800Mar-199,000Apr-198,200May-198,000Jun-197,000Total99,600  If a claimant is having difficult repaying a benefit overpayment or Civil Penalty, they can request a review of the amount that is being taken. Any adjustment in the rate of repayment will be based on the individual circumstances of the debtor. When recovering benefit overpayments, the DWP ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants from any undue financial hardship. *The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department. All figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Debt Collection

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 269122, what sums her Department has spent on the use of enforcement agencies to collect (a) civil penalties and (b) benefit overpayments in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The information requested is commercially sensitive. Suppliers have to comply with the Credit Services Association code of practice, Office of Fair Trade guidance, Financial Conduct Authority principles around fair treatment of customers and are bound by the Data Protection Act 2018.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 264329 on universal credit, of the 749,000 claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debits, how many of those tax credit overpayments were repaid by each year to which those overpayments were made to those claimants.

Alok Sharma: Tax Credit overpayments were referred to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Debt Management from 2016/17. The table shows Tax Credit recoveries for 2018/19 apportioned across the financial year in which the Tax Credit overpayment ended*. Tax Credit Overpayment  Period End DatePercentage of Recoveries by ValueUnknownLess than 0.05%2003-040.10%2004-050.5%2005-060.4%2006-070.5%2007-081.2%2008-092.3%2009-101.6%2010-112.9%2011-124.1%2012-134.9%2013-146.1%2014-157.3%2015-169.0%2016-1714.1%2017-1826.7%2018-1918.2% Universal Credit (UC) is expected to lead to savings across welfare as we are able to adjust benefit entitlement in line with changing circumstances in real time. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances. When recovering benefit overpayments, the DWP ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants from any undue financial hardship. *The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the DWP. All figures have been rounded to one decimal place. Due to this rounding, the figures will not sum 100%.

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257458 on Universal Credit: Overpayments, how many overpayments were waived in (a) full and (b) part as a result of applications made by (i) claimants and (ii) their representatives in 2014-15.

Alok Sharma: In 2014/15 there were fewer than 5 successful applications for the full waiving of a Universal Credit overpayment and fewer than 5 successful partial waiver applications for UC overpayments*. The Department has an obligation to ensure that public funds are administered responsibly and to abide by the principles set out in Her Majesty’s Treasury’s guidance on Managing Public Money (which can be found on gov.uk). Waivers are only granted in limited circumstances including where the recovery of an overpayment is causing substantial financial and/or medical hardship and clear supporting evidence of this is provided. We are unable to provide a breakdown of how many applications were made by claimants or their representatives as this information is not stored. *The figures provided in this response have been sourced from internal management information and were not intended for public release. They should therefore not be compared to any other figures subsequently released by the Department. We are not able to report exact figures that are lower than 5, therefore this have been listed as “less than 5”.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether welfare advisers have the discretion not to impose job seeking conditions on a claimant in their (a) customer agreement and (b) claimant commitment when that claimant is no longer entitled to employment and support allowance and is advised to claim universal credit.

Alok Sharma: When people move from ESA to UC due to a change of circumstances (e.g. house move) not connected to their WCA, they will move into the equivalent conditionality group. Work search requirements are not imposed on people who have been found to have Limited Capability for Work or Limited Capability for Work and Work Related activity. When people move from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit (UC) due to being found ‘fit for work’ at their work capability assessment (WCA) their UC conditionality will be decided based on their individual and household circumstances. There are a range of circumstances on UC where work-related requirements must be switched off temporarily because people are experiencing difficult personal circumstances and our work coaches do have the discretion to reduce or suspend job seeking conditions on their Claimant Commitment. Even for people who have been found fit for work, work coaches may still agree to tailor the number of hours, type, and location of work, to take account of the person’s health condition. Work coaches receive training on how to adjust conditionality to reflect a person’s individual circumstances. People who are full time carers or have caring responsibility for a child under 1 will not be asked to complete any work related requirements when they move to UC in recognition of their current situation.

Disability

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase public understanding of invisible disabilities.

Justin Tomlinson: On Tuesday 25 June, the Government launched a new cross-government approach on disability which is guided by a vision that recognises the contributions that disabled people make and where disabled people can participate fully in society. To drive forward this approach, government will establish a new cross-departmental disability team in the Cabinet Office, and the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) will be incorporated into the team. This move recognises that disabled people, including those with hidden disabilities, face barriers across the life course and a wide range of aspects of their lives and coordinated cross-government action is therefore vital.The British Standards Institution, and others involved in supporting the “Grace’s Sign” campaign, are currently exploring the potential for developing a symbol for hidden disabilities. The project is in an early scoping phase, but its intended aim is that the symbol would be recognised by the International Organization for Standardization. Achieving this involves a multi-stage process, which can take time, but if successful, greatly enhances the chances of its sustained future use in public signage. If successful, greater use and public acceptance of such a symbol would increase awareness of hidden disabilities, and help promote an understanding of the possible access and support needs of people with hidden disabilities.Various Sector Champions appointed by the Minister for Disabled People are working within their sectors to support all disabled people, raise awareness of their needs and drive improvements in how these are met. Examples relating to hidden disabilities include: railway franchises thinking about supporting people with a wider range of disabilities, including through quiet areas at stations; a lanyard to identify those with hidden disabilities at airports, with staff trained to recognise this and offer help; and within the retail sector, many large stores holding quiet hours (no music and dimmed lighting) to improve the shopping experience for those with some hidden disabilities (such as autism or ADHD).

Marriage Guidance: Finance

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding the Government has allocated under section 22 of the Family Law Act 1996 to (a) the provision of marriage support services and (b) research into (i) the causes of and (ii) preventing marital breakdown in each year since 2010.

Will Quince: Responsibility for delivering relationship support services moved to the Department for Work and Pensions in 2013. Although DWP does not make grants under s22 of the Family Law Act (1996), we have funded a range of services to support families to improve the quality of their relationships – including those who are married.DWP is currently delivering the Reducing Parental Conflict programme, which is backed by up to £39m and aims to encourage local authorities and their partners across England to integrate services which address parental conflict into local provision for families. Around a third of this budget is being used to test eight face-to-face interventions, which evidence shows have the potential to be effective at reducing parental conflict.

Personal Independence Payment

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how feedback from presenting officers in personal independence payment tribunals is used to inform future decision making on personal independence payment cases.

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the quality of the feedback received from presenting officers on personal independence payment tribunals.

Justin Tomlinson: The helpful feedback from Presenting Officers (POs), has resulted in decision makers, appeals writers and POs themselves, reviewing their approach to the weighing of evidence, including taking a more considerative view of existing evidence. Changes have also been made to how decisions are being explained to claimants and in the paperwork prepared for appeal tribunals. Further, it has fed into our new approach for PIP cases where we contact claimants, where appropriate, to see if there is information that would enable us to change the decision ourselves at Mandatory Reconsideration or at the appeal stage.

Personal Independence Payment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2019 to Question 270341 on Personal Independence Payment, what improvements to processing mandatory reconsiderations have been made since her Department adopted the quality-driven approach.

Justin Tomlinson: We have been engaging with stakeholders to explore how we can improve the Mandatory Reconsideration process. We have also recently implemented a new operational approach in PIP where we are proactively contacting claimants, where appropriate, to see if there is information that would enable us to change the decision. Early indications are that this is helping decision makers. Further to this we have already been working on reviewing cases at the appeal stage and where new evidence is provided that changes the decision we are lapsing cases so that claimants don’t need to wait for a hearing.

Social Security Benefits: Females

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is her Department's policy that all female benefits claimants are asked whether they are or have been victims of domestic abuse.

Will Quince: The Department is sensitive to the fact that it can be difficult for any victim of domestic abuse to come forward and disclose this. Universal Credit claimants are assigned to a single work coach, with whom they can build a trusting relationship. All of our work coaches have received mandatory training, developed with input from domestic abuse charities, to help them recognise the signs of abuse. If it becomes apparent that a claimant has been or is a victim of domestic abuse, as soon as they feel able to disclose this personal and sensitive information, a discussion should take place about their circumstances, to enable their work coach to tailor the support they provide to the claimant’s needs. This includes signposting the claimant to expert organisations. Almost all Jobcentres have private rooms available so that individuals can discuss these sensitive issues in private. By summer 2019, we will have implemented advocates for domestic abuse services in every Jobcentre to further raise awareness of domestic abuse, and to support our work coaches.

Social Security Benefits: Motor Neurone Disease

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the proportion of motor neurone disease sufferers who were able to fast-track access to benefits for the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. You may be interested to know that the number of people allocated to the Support Group of Employment and Support Allowance, who are terminally ill, can be found in the ‘ESA WCA by completed assessment’ at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml There are published statistics available on Stat-Xplore on PIP Clearances (whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn by the claimant) which can be broken down by disability for claimants who attended an assessment (this can be found using the Clearance Detail and selecting the options, “Awarded” and “Disallowed post referral to the Assessment due to Failing the Assessment”) and by whether the claim was cleared under Normal Rules and Special Rules. Stat-Xplore can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/: Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

Social Security Benefits: Motor Neurone Disease

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to make it easier for sufferers of motor neurone disease to access the Special rules for terminal illness; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: We understand that cases where someone has applied for benefit under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness must be treated with speed and sensitivity. In partnership with stakeholders, including the Motor Neurone Disease Association, we recently reviewed and updated guidance for clinicians who complete the DS1500 form, including making clearer that it can be completed for patients who have any terminal condition, not only cancer.

Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding her Department has allocated to providers of local specialist domestic abuse services in anticipation of a potential increase in demand for such services as a result of her Department's policy to identify and refer survivors of domestic abuse to those services.

Will Quince: All our work coaches have received mandatory training, developed with input from domestic abuse charities, to help them to recognise the signs of domestic abuse. This means that our staff are able to proactively identify, support and signpost victims of abuse to expert organisations. The Government has committed £100 million between 2016 and 2022 to support the Cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (VAWG). This includes £20 million, announced in the 2017 Spring Budget, to support organisations tacking domestic abuse and to support victims; and a £17 million VAWG Service Transformation Fund to support the local provision of specialist VAWG services, encourage partnership working, new approaches and early intervention.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June to Question 266642, for what reasons her Department holds information on the number of universal credit claimants with an existing advance who also receive a maximum budgetary advance and have offered to repay that advance over the maximum time period allowed but does not hold information on the proportion of those people who have repaid their budget advance within the pre-agreed time period.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The Department does collect information on advances paid and repayments for all advances through the Universal Credit award. However, each advance’s repayment progress would need to be tracked separately and a date in which repayment is completed would need to be calculated.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June to Question 266643, how many people received a universal credit payment between June 2015 and May 2019.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit payments are made at a household rather than individual level. The official Households on Universal Credit statistics series starts in August 2015 and the latest month that has been published so far is February 2019. 2,600,000 households on Universal Credit received at least one payment between August 2015 and February 2019. Notes: 1) Figures have been rounded to nearest 100,000.2) Figures relate to both Universal Credit full service and Universal Credit live service.3) If a household has a Managed Payment to Landlord in place, then some or all of their Universal Credit payment may have been paid directly to the landlord.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2019 to Question 266646, what recourse is available to a member of a joint claim whose partner has falsely confirmed that their partner knows and agrees to a universal credit advance.

Alok Sharma: Advances are in place to ensure those in genuine need are able to receive financial support. They are not additional money: they are simply an advance of entitlement. Either member of a couple can apply for an advance payment on behalf of the couple. Since both claimants have a joint and individual liability for the repayment of the advance, they are given written notice at the time of taking out the advance, via their Universal Credit (UC) journal, which includes the amount of the advance and of their liability to repay the advance. They will also be alerted to this UC Journal entry.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 266647 on Universal Credit, for what reason his Department does not hold data on the number of claimants of universal credit that were refused an advance during the that period.

Alok Sharma: Information on advances refused is not held in a format that is readily accessible. To identify and collate the total number of applications refused for an advance would incur disproportionate cost to the Department.

Universal Credit

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2019 to Question 269775, whether the practice of loansharks applying on behalf of an individual for a universal credit advance payment which is then issued as a loan to the individual is being investigated by her Department.

Alok Sharma: Any exploitation of advance payments is not acceptable, and takes advantage of a process designed to support claimants during their first assessment period. We are seeking to identify the perpetrators and will take appropriate prosecution action.The Department is committed to reducing fraud and works hard to identify perpetrators of fraud. We have a dedicated team of investigators working on this issue and we regularly raise awareness with our front line staff who understand the risks and raise concerns as appropriate.

Home Office

Disclosure and Barring Service

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page one of the letter from the Cabinet Secretary of 10 April 2019 to the Public Accounts Committee inquiry on Disclosure and Barring Service: progress review, what agreed changes the revised Full Business Case was subject to before approval by the Home Office Portfolio and Investment Committee.

Victoria Atkins: The Disclosure and Barring Service Full Business Case was revised in 2014 with the following agreed changes: an increase of 12 months to the business case to reflect the delays in the transitioning of services; a revised demand assumption for the update service due to uptake being less than previously envisaged; and reassessed costs, benefits and fee income.

Police: Finance

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 216372 on Police: Finance, what the Police Transformation Fund underspend was in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18; and what estimate he has made of that underspend in 2018-19.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Police Transformation Fund underspend was:a) £ 5,922,195.65 in 2016-17, £5m of which was used for Emergency Services Mobile Communication research costs in 2016-17.b) £42,884,039 in 2017-18, this was used to bring forward 2019-20 com-mitments which enabled us to finance the ministerial commitment to tackling serious violence in 2018-19c) £3,084,351.34 in 2018-19

Higher Education: Radicalism

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Government plans to redraft the Higher Education Prevent Duty Guidance following the Court of Appeal’s verdict that paragraph 11 is unlawful; and if he will consult with organisations from the higher education sector on that redraft.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Court of Appeal’s judgment that one paragraph in the Prevent Duty Guidance for Higher Education Institutions in England and Wales is unlawful (which applies correspondingly to the same or similar paragraphs in the Prevent Duty Guidance documents for higher education in Scotland, and for further education institutions in England and Wales, and in Scotland) does not affect the rest of the guidance documents, which should continue to be read as before.The Government continues to consider its position regarding its next steps in relation to this judgment. Any redraft of the guidance documents will be made in consultation with the higher education sector, and in the meantime higher and further education institutions affected by the Prevent duty should refer to the court’s judgment, in particular paragraphs 158 to 177.

Public Spaces Protection Orders

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of public space protection orders issued since 2014 in England and Wales.

Victoria Atkins: Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are designed to stop individuals or groups committing anti-social behaviour (ASB) in a public space. Local councils are responsible for determining whether use of a PSPO is appropriate, and the Home Office does not centrally collate data on the number issued.The effectiveness of PSPOs and other ASB powers is kept under review through the Home Office’s Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together a range of partners and representatives from key agencies and Government departments.

Knives: Crime

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the reach of the #knifefree campaign on social media from its inception to 18 June 2019.

Victoria Atkins: The #knifefree campaign has delivered over 266m impressions on social media over multiple bursts of campaign activity since launch in March 2018.This figure represents the number of times the adverts have been delivered to young people on social media (twitter, instagram, snapchat) giving the opportunity to see them. However, it does not represent the number of people who have actually seen the adverts; impressions are not unique and adverts may be delivered to people multiple times over the campaign periods.Advertising has run across a range of channels including outdoor posters, online videos, digital audio and social media. We have estimated reach figures for the #knifefree campaign activity; with each burst of paid media estimated to have reached 6 million 15-24 year olds, achieving millions of views of our campaign videos. This is an estimation based on media planning tools across all channels.

Rape: Prosecutions

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of reported rape cases were not passed to the Crown Prosecution Service by the police forces of England and Wales in 2017-18.

Victoria Atkins: The Government does not hold data on the total number of reported rape cases which are not passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service by the police.The Crown Prosecution Service publishes data on the number of pre-charge decisions for rape cases.The Government expects every report of sexual violence and rape to be treated seriously from the point of disclosure and continues to work with the police to look at ways to improve police investigations. Through the refreshed Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy we have committed to undertake an end-to-end review into the criminal justice response to rape, from the point of police report through to final outcome in court, which will include examining police referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.

Slavery

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what happens to (a) adult and (b) child victims of modern slavery after they have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism for the mandatory 45 days.

Victoria Atkins: The National Referral Mechanism is our system for identifying and providing access to support for suspected victims.The support for adult victims is provided through a Government-funded support service, the Victim Care Contract (VCC), which gives all adult victims in England and Wales a tailored and specialised package of care and support which includes, but is not limited to, accommodation, financial support, counselling, access to mental, physical and dental health services, and signposting to legal support.Currently all potential victims of modern slavery who receive a positive Reasonable Grounds (RG) decision in the NRM are able to access a minimum of 45-days of support delivered through the VCC during their recovery and reflection period. This support is provided until the potential victim receives a Conclusive Grounds (CG) decision. This will be at least 45 days after they enter support but is often longer.After the recovery and reflection period, victims who receive a positive CG decision are currently able to access continuing move-on support. Previously this support was provided for 45 days, but the Home Office is in the process of reviewing this policy.Those who receive a negative decision are able to access a further 9 days of move-on support.Child victims of modern slavery are supported by local authorities under existing statutory child protection arrangements. In addition, Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, makes provisions for Independent Child Trafficking Advocates (ICTAs). ICTAs are an independent source of advice for trafficked children and somebody who can speak up on their behalf. We have successfully rolled out ICTAs to one third of all local authorities in England and Wales and the Government remains committed to rolling ICTAs out nationally.The Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act led by Frank Field, Bar-oness Butler-Sloss and Maria Miller has recently considered Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which makes provision for ICTAs. The Review’s final report can be found https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-modern-slavery-act-final-report The Government is currently carefully considering the recommendations for ICTAs for national roll out.

Slavery

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how victims of modern slavery are monitored in respect of ongoing safeguarding after referral to the National Referral Mechanism; and how many victims of modern slavery have been reported as continuing to be trafficked in the last 12 months.

Victoria Atkins: Adults who enter the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) can receive specialist and tailored support through the Victim Care Contract. This can include accommodation, financial support and assistance in accessing mental and physical health careWe ensure victims are safeguarded through robust contract management. The prime contractor for the Victim Care Contract, The Salvation Army, is responsible for ensuring that all subcontracted provision meets the needs of victims. The Salvation Army conducts regular safeguarding reviews and it has a duty to escalate to the Home Office any safeguarding concerns that it finds.In October 2017, the Government announced an ambitious package of reforms to the NRM. As part of that package, we are introducing an inspection regime for accommodation provided through the Victim Care Contract. This will ensure that victims of modern slavery are effectively safeguarded while in the NRM. We are working with the Care and Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, to develop this regime which will be embedded in the new Victim Care ContractThe Government is unable to provide an accurate figure for the number of confirmed victims who have been re-trafficked after leaving the National Referral Mechanism.We are working with the National Crime Agency to improve our ability to identify potential re-trafficking cases. Our reforms to introduce a new digital referral process will also improve our ability to identify re-trafficking, as it will increase our knowledge of victims of modern slavery and enable us to capture and analyse data to better aid prevention and law enforcement activity. The digital referral form has already been launched for closed-beta testing with a group of First Responders and it will go live at the end of the summer.

Home Office: National Picnic Week

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to participate in events to celebrate National Picnic Week held between 21 and 30 June  2019.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office welcomes the initivative of National Picnic Week.

Visas: Fees and Charges

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will provide in cash terms the value of the charge levied upon visa and settlement applicants for having documents (a) scanned and (b) photocopied by his Department.

Caroline Nokes: There is no charge by the Home Office levied upon visa and settlement applicants for having documents (a) scanned and (b) photocopiedThe vast majority of UKVI customers applying online have the option of uploading their supporting evidence themselves, for free. If customers choose not to use this self-upload function, then they have the option to have their documents scanned by the commercial partner at the visa application centre or service point when they attend their appointment. In most locations an additional charge is applicable for this service.

Sexual Offences: Criminal Proceedings

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government's document entitled, Ending Violence against Women and Girls Strategy Refresh, published in March 2019, what progress he has made on the end-to-end review into how rape and sexual violence cases are handled across the criminal justice system; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: Rape and sexual violence are devastating crimes and we want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.We are not complacent in these aims and that is why, in light of recent reduced volumes of police referrals, charges, prosecutions and convictions for serious sexual offences, we committed to undertake a review of the criminal justice response to rape and serious sexual offence casesThe review is being overseen by a Sexual Offences Sub Group of the Criminal Justice Board and we have held two Sub-Group meetings since May to agree terms of reference and develop a programme of work over the next few months. Priority areas of focus have been identified through input from specialist stakeholders and an initial data mapping exercise.We expect to report back fully on the review and its recommendations in March 2020, in line with other commitments made in the VAWG Strategy.

Radicalism: Social Media

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is (a) taking and (b) plans to take to help tackle the number of extreme lslamists operating on (a) Twitter and (b) other social media platforms.

Victoria Atkins: This Government has been clear there should be no safe space online for terrorists and their supporters to radicalise, recruit, incite, or inspire. The UK has been at the forefront of the online battle against extremist and terrorist material.The dedicated police Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) refers content that they assess as contravening UK terrorism legislation to industry and have secured the removal of over 310,000 pieces of terrorist material since its inception in February 2010.The UK Government was instrumental in setting up the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), an industry-led forum, following the 2017 terrorist attacks. We continue to press for the GIFCT to lead a more robust and coordinated cross-industry response to reduce the availability of terrorist content on the internet.We continue to work with technology companies, including Twitter, to encourage them to take further steps in tackling terrorist material on the Internet. While companies have taken positive steps, the Government has been clear that more needs to be done to tackle online harms, including extremist content. That is why the Government published the Online Harms White Paper, which sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online and hold companies to account for tackling a wide range of online harms.

Employment: Females

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, what steps he has taken to commission specialist services that aim to support women to exit prostitution and enter the workplace.

Victoria Atkins: The Government's priority is to protect those selling sex from harm and exploitation and target those who exploit vulnerable people involved in prostitution. We believe that people who want to leave prostitution should be given every opportunity to find routes out. We continue to work closely with the police, Crown Prosecution Service, other front-line agencies and wider partners to ensure the legislation achieves these aims.We have provided over £2m to organisations supporting sex workers, including £650,000 from the Violence Against Women and Girls Service Transformation Fund to Merseyside PCC, to provide a victim-focused service for sex workers who are victims, or at risk of sexual or domestic violence and abuse, exploitation or human trafficking.

Home Office: Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will sign his Department up to the UK Steel charter.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK Steel charter.

Victoria Atkins: We have discussed the procurement of steel with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which has asked all Government departments to consider guidance on steel procurement and to notify of any upcoming opportunities for industry.More broadly, the Government is committed to supporting the steel sector to realise the broader commercial opportunities that are open to it, which could be worth an additional £3.8 billion a year by 2030. We are establishing the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – backed by up to £315m of investment – to help businesses with high energy use (including steel companies) to cut their bills and transition UK industry to a low carbon future. We are also providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies.

Domestic Abuse: Mental Health Services

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what protections he plans to introduce in the Domestic Abuse Bill to provide for the mental health needs of victims of domestic abuse.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to improving the response to victims of domestic abuse through the provisions set out in our draft Domestic Abuse Bill and consultation response.We are carefully considering the recommendations from the Joint Committee on the draft Domestic Abuse Bill about improving access to public services for victims of domestic abuse and their children and will be responding to the Committee’s report in due course.We want to improve the provision of mental health services to ensure that they are available to anyone in need of such services, including domestic abuse victims. We have therefore committed to investing at least an additional £2.3bn per year in mental health services by 2023/24On 17 June the Prime Minister announced a wide-ranging package of measures to strengthen the response to mental health, including training for all new teachers on how to spot the signs of mental health issues, additional funding to support local authorities to deliver local suicide prevention plans and updated professional standards for social workers across England to increase their knowledge and skills when helping those with mental health issues.

Visas

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the number of families whose visa applications have been rejected due to the minimum income requirement.

Caroline Nokes: The reasons for refusing a visa application are not held in a reportable field in our visa case-working system and to provide a report could only be achieved at disproprtinate cost by examination of thousands of individual case files.

Homelessness: Slavery

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent homeless people becoming victims of modern slavery.

Victoria Atkins: Tackling slavery remains a priority for this Government. We are committed to ending slavery in all its forms and supporting victims into accommodation where necessary so that they can rebuild their lives.The Government takes the issue of modern slavery and homelessness very seriously and recognises there is a risk of those sleeping rough being vulnerable to trafficking. Because of this, in October 2018, the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) hosted a roundtable on modern slavery and homelessness, as part of MHCLG’s commitment in their rough sleeping strategy to raise the profile of this complex issue at the national level.We’re also investing £1.2bn to tackle homelessness, including our bold Rough Sleeping Strategy, backed by £100m of funding, as well as empowering councils to build more council homes to ensure everyone has a safe and secure home.Following advice from the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel (which includes experts from homelessness charities and local government), the Government committed in its strategy to introduce new packages of training for frontline staff working with those who sleep rough, including victims of modern slavery. The training will provide participants with an improved awareness of modern slavery, how to identify potential victims, the issues and characteristics victims of modern slavery may present with and an understanding of how best to support a victim to prevent or relieve their homelessness.

Home Office: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,  whether his Department offers employees a payroll deduction service to enable staff to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office does not currently provide the facility for employees to join a credit union through payroll deductions.

*No heading*

John McNally: What information the Government holds on the sale of illegal drugs through private groups on Facebook; and if he will ensure that Facebook tackles that practice.

Victoria Atkins: The government does not hold this informationA robust law enforcement response is a fundamental part of the government's drug strategy and we are taking coordinated action to tackle illegal drugs alongside associated criminal activity. Law enforcement agencies continue to work with internet service providers to shut down UK-based websites found to be committing offences such as selling drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.The government has been clear that more needs to be done to tackle online harms, including sale of illegal goods. That is why the Government published the Online Harms White Paper, which sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online and hold companies to account for tackling a wide range of online harms.

Migrant Workers: Pharmacy

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect on the community pharmacy sector of excluding pharmacists from the shortage occupation list.

Caroline Nokes: The Shortage Occupation List is based on advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).Last July, the Government commissioned the MAC to undertake a full review of the current composition of the SOL. That review is now complete and was published on 29 May.The Government is grateful to the MAC for a comprehensive report, the content of which we are now considering, before making final decisions.

Passports: British National (Overseas)

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for British National (Overseas) Passport applications were received by his Department in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019.

Caroline Nokes: In 2018 Her Majesty’s Passport office received 20,440 British National Overseas applications. Up to the 31st March 2019 Her Majesty’s Passport office has received 6,448 British National Overseas applications.

Prisoners' Release: Artificial Intelligence

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has issued to police forces in England and Wales on the use of algorithms in decision-making for (a) bail and (b) release from custody.

Mr Nick Hurd: All decisions around the application of pre-charge bail and release from custody must comply with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 its associated Codes of Practice.The use of pre-charge bail must be necessary and proportionate, and all persons in custody must be dealt with expeditiously, and released as soon as the need for detention no longer applies, as set out in PACE Code C.The Home Office has not published guidance specifically on the use of algorithms for pre-charge bail and release from custody.However, the Home Office recognises that emerging data enabled technologies have the potential to transform policing, creating a more efficient and effective service. The Government set up the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) as an advisory body set up by Government and led by an independent board of expert members to investigate and advise on how we can maximise the benefits of these technologies.The CDEI is conducting a review into the issue of algorithmic bias in various sectors, including crime and justice. The review will aim to support the development of technical means for identifying algorithmic bias that have scope to be applied across different sectors and produce recommendations to government about how any potential harms can be identified and minimised.

Prisoners' Release: Disclosure of Information

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the sharing of information between (a) police forces, (b) probation services and (c) community rehabilitation companies on the decision-making process for (a) bail and (b) release from custody.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Secretary has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on a range of topics.Decisions about pre-charge bail and release from custody must be made according to the criteria set out in relevant legislation, and where information from other agencies is used to inform such decisions it must be processed in accordance with relevant legal parameters.

Right of Abode: Veterans

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2018 to Question 186245 on Right of Abode: Veterans, what progress his Department has made on making a decision on whether to grant right of abode to former British-Hong Kong servicemen.

Caroline Nokes: Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme introduced in 1990, a limited number of Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as a British citizen. The Scheme ran until 1 July 1997.The Home Secretary has met with Andrew Rosindell MP and a delegation of former Hong Kong Military Service Corps (HKMSC) personnel and listened to their representations. This is a complex matter to which we are giving careful consideration.

Refugees

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect of that Department's policies on resettled refugees; and if he will make a statement.

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to announce additional details of the integrated programme to resettle an additional 5,000 refugees from 2020-2021.

Caroline Nokes: We continue to engage with colleagues in central government to ensure that all those we resettle are aware of, and receive, the support they are entitled to. This includes regular dialogue with DWP concerning how to support refugees, both through formal meeting structures, and informally as specific issues arise.It is right that the UK continues to offer a safe and legal route to the UK for the most vulnerable refugees, for whom resettlement is the only durable solution. We continue to engage with international and domestic delivery partners and stakeholders as we prepare to transition to the new resettlement scheme in 2020 and work through detailed policy of the new scheme.

Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he takes to ensure that recommendations made by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration are implemented by his Department.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is committed to reform across all areas of the Border, Immigration and Citizenship System and works hard to address and implement those ICIBI recommendations it accepts.Progress is tracked through regular reviews and reported to senior officials, while detailed updates on progress and implementation are shared with the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on a regular basis.The Department engages with the ICIBI’s inspection programme. This includes an assessment of how the Department has implemented earlier ICIBI recommendations for any re-inspections.

Dual Nationality

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions exist under the one name for all policy for citizens with dual nationality to maintain legal recognition of previous or original names.

Caroline Nokes: The intent behind the policy is to have one name for all official purposes. Specific exceptions exist under the one names policy where a dual national cannot meet the requirements of the policy for reasons beyond their control, for example where there are restrictions on their ability to change their name in travel documents of their other nationality.

Disclosure and Barring Service

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to announce the outcome of his review of the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Victoria Atkins: The Tailored Review of the Disclosure and Barring Service will be taking place in the next financial year – 2020/21, following which the outcome will be published.

Passports

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of British national overseas passport holders.

Caroline Nokes: The number of valid British National (Overseas) passports in circulation as at 31st December 2018 was 169,653.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, what steps he is taking to expedite security clearance for Afghan interpreters formerly employed by UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan to be relocated to the UK.

Caroline Nokes: We work closely with the employing Departments, the Ministry of Defence, Foreign and Commonwealth office and Department for International Development, to facilitate the arrival of former Afghan interpreters who relocate to the UK. We are continually considering how we can enhance the comprehensive security clearance processes already in place, but for reasons of national security, we cannot provide further on the details of the security clearance process itself.

British Nationality: Applications

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the equity of the fee structure for applying to become a UK citizen for people who have been (a) born and (b) raised in the UK.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to ensure that a person eligible to apply for UK citizenship is not prevented from doing so as a result of the fee structure.

Caroline Nokes: An assessment of the impact of all border, immigration and citizenship (BIC) fees was published as an associated document to the Immigration andNationality Fees (Regulations) 2018. Whilst the assessment doesn’t focus onaffordability, which would be a very subjective matter, it does include estimates of price elasticity. Policy Equality Statements are prepared alongside proposed fee changes.The relevant information can be found via the following link:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2018/59/pdfs/ukia_20180059_en.pdfAdditionally, the Home Office keeps its fees for immigration and nationality under regular review and changes to individual charges need to be made with a view to maintaining the overall purpose of the fees and charging legislation.The Home Office constantly strives to achieve the right balance between ensuring that individuals are able to obtain status in the UK and access appropriate services, without adding burden to the taxpayer.Applying for British nationality is not mandatory and many individuals who have settlement/ indefinite leave to remain (ILR) status choose not to apply. This is because, in addition to lawful permanent residence in the UK, a person with indefinite leave to remain has full access to the UK labour market, education, healthcare and the ability to sponsor family members’ residence in the UK.The Home Office also provides for exceptions to the need to pay application fees for limited and indefinite leave to remain, in a number of specificcircumstances. These exceptions ensure that the Home Office’s immigration and nationality fee structure complies with international obligations, including in relation to refugees and persons deriving rights under the ECHR and wider government policy and the protection of vulnerable children, such as those in Local Authority (LA) care.

Assaults on Police

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of work days lost by police officers from sick leave as a result of an assault while on duty.

Mr Nick Hurd: The number of working days lost by police forces in England and Wales because of an assault while on duty is not collected centrally by the Home Office.

Asylum: Housing

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many properties have been procured by the new asylum accommodation provider Mears in the North East; how many service users can be accommodated in those properties; and how many service users there are in the North East for whom new accommodation has not yet been procured.

Caroline Nokes: The provider of asylum accommodation under the forthcoming Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) in the North East Yorkshire Humber region is working closely with local authorities to ensure there is suitable and sufficient accommodation available to ensure a smooth transition of services before the current COMPASS contracts end in September 2019.Mears continue in commercial discussion with their potential supply chain, sub-contractors and landlords; including on planned upgrades to the existing estate alongside the provisional acquisition of potential new properties that may also be brought in use during the AASC contract.Mears are working closely with the Home Office, COMPASS provider and local authorities in the region to ensure all parties are kept informed of progress and disruption to service users is minimised. Details regarding the number of new properties and service users moves will be communicated, pending the conclusion of ongoing commercial discussions and progression of property acquisition.

Asylum: Housing

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contingency plans his Department has made in the event that the asylum accommodation provider in the North East is unable to procure sufficient housing stock to accommodate service-users in the region.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office has dedicated staff managing the transition to the new Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) which includes rigorous transition governance structures which tracks progress against provider plans. The new provider, Mears, in the North East region has undertaken due diligence activity across all current properties to assess their ongoing suitability and this activity continues to inform their commercial negotiations with their property supply chain.Due to the on-going commercial sensitivities around these matters we will communicate details further in due course. The Home Office will continue to monitor and manage all Providers closely to ensure sufficient suitable accommodation is secured to deliver an effective transition of services.

Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Government spent on legal costs on the court case on reforms to firefighters pensions.

Mr Nick Hurd: Following the Court of Appeal’s recent judgment which deemed transitional protection in the 2015 firefighters’ pension scheme to be unlawful, the claims will now be referred back to the Employment Tribunal for remedy. To date the legal costs for Government are in the region of £495,000.

Entry Clearances

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to take into account the skills and qualifications of non-EEA nationals applying for entry clearance under Appendix FM; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: Whilst skills and qualifications of non-EEA nationals applying for entry clearance under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules are generally not taken into account, there is provision within the Rules that they can be where there are exceptional circumstances.Paragraph 21A of Appendix FM-SE, inserted by HC 290, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc290-20-july-2017, sets out objective criteria by which decision makers will in such cases, assess an applicant’s relevant skills and qualifications within the context of previous or prospective employment or self-employment income.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make it her Department's policy to sign up to the UK Steel Charter.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether officials in her Department have had discussions with officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK Steel Charter.

John Penrose: We have discussed the procurement of steel with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which has asked all Government departments to consider guidance on steel procurement and to notify of any upcoming opportunities for industry. More broadly, the Government is committed to supporting the steel sector to realise the broader commercial opportunities that are open to it, which could be worth an additional £3.8 billion a year by 2030. We are establishing the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – backed by up to £315m of investment – to help businesses with high energy use (including steel companies) to cut their bills and transition UK industry to a low carbon future. We are also providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies.

Treasury

Life Insurance: Mental Illness

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to life insurance for people with mental health problems.

John Glen: The Government is determined that all insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. The FCA has placed access and vulnerability at the core of the its Mission and Business Plan, and plans to consult on guidance for firms on the treatment of vulnerable consumers, including those with mental health conditions, in Summer 2019.

Money Laundering: EU Action

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of UK compliance with (a) current and (b) future EU anti-money laundering policies after the UK leaves the EU.

John Glen: The UK is a founding member and strong support of the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF), which sets global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) standards. These standards are generally incorporated into UK law through the transposition of EU directives. The Fourth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive was transposed into UK law by the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. This directive updated EU anti-money laundering policy to reflect the 2012 update to the FATF standards. The Fifth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5MLD) was finalised in 2018 to further strengthen transparency and counter-terrorist legislation. The UK played a significant role in the negotiation of 5MLD and shares the objectives which it seeks to achieve on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing. HM Treasury is currently running a consultation process inviting views and evidence on the steps the government proposes to take to meet the UK’s expected obligation to implement 5MLD by January 2020, and expects to publish an impact assessment in due course. The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act gives the UK the powers to update its future anti-money laundering regime post EU-exit. As a leading member of the FATF, the UK will continue updating anti-money laundering policies according to international standards, ensuring the UK’s AML/CTF regime is kept up to date, effective and proportionate. The Political Declaration that has been agreed with the EU contains a statement of mutual intent that the future relationship should cover money laundering and terrorist-financing.

Holidays Abroad: EU Countries

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the (a) level of VAT charged on and (b) subsequent price of holidays for UK citizens travelling to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU (i) with and (ii) without an agreement.

Jesse Norman: The cost of a holiday is determined by tour operators and travel agents. VAT will be just one of the EU Exit factors that businesses will take into account when pricing holidays. In the event of no-deal, the Government has prepared legislation that would mean that sales of holidays to the EU would be free of VAT, as is the case now for holidays to the rest of the world. If Parliament passes the Withdrawal Agreement, there will be no change to the VAT treatment of holidays to the EU during the implementation period.

National Insurance Contributions

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the revenue accruing to the public purse annually from a 1p increase in National Insurance.

Jesse Norman: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publish estimates of the exchequer impact of various illustrative tax changes in the publication series “Direct effects of illustrative tax changes”. This includes illustrative effects for the following National Insurance changes:Change Class 1 employee main rate by 1 percent pointChange Class 1 employee additional rate by 1 percent pointChange Class 1 employer rate by 1 percentage pointChange Class 2 rate by £1 per weekChange Class 4 main rate by 1 percentage pointChange Class 4 additional rate by 1 percentage point. The latest bulletin, published in April 2019, is linked below: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/direct-effects-of-illustrative-tax-changes

Electronic Publishing: VAT

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking in response to the amendment to EU VAT directive (2006/112/EC), which gave the UK the flexibility to bring the rate of VAT for e-publications in line with the rate of VAT for their printed equivalents.

Jesse Norman: The Government keeps all taxes under review, including Value Added Tax (VAT). Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations. Any representations on this issue will be considered as part of the fiscal events process.

Tax Avoidance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to conduct an inquiry into the introduction of the 2019 Loan Charge.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have declared bankruptcy as a result of the 2019 Loan Charge.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people affected by the 2019 Loan Charge in (a) Barnsley Central, (b) Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Jesse Norman: The Government published a report into disguised remuneration schemes which considered the range of evidence available and can be found online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-on-time-limits-and-the-disguised-remuneration-loan-charge. The Government would encourage anyone who is affected by the charge to contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and discuss their situation. HMRC have not made anybody bankrupt as a result of the 2019 Loan Charge. The information requested on how many people have declared themselves bankrupt as a result of the 2019 Loan Charge is not available. HMRC will work with individuals to reach sustainable and manageable payment plans wherever possible. Anybody who is worried about being able to pay what they owe should get in touch with HMRC. The Government estimates that up to 50,000 individuals will be affected by the 2019 loan charge. Since the DR loan charge was announced, HMRC have already agreed around 6,000 settlements with employers and individuals, worth over £1 billion. Information on the number of people affected by the 2019 Loan Charge is not held at constituency, borough or regional level. Since November 2017, HMRC have been writing directly to individuals and employers who may be affected by the Disguised Remuneration (DR) loan charge. A breakdown of recipients by UK parliamentary constituency is available on gov.uk at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/disguised-remuneration-loan-charge-awareness-letters.

Juan Guaidó

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has taken steps to release assets held by the Bank of England to the Official Representative to the UK of interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: Assets held on behalf of foreign central banks are a matter for the Bank of England. HM Treasury only has direct control over the UK Government’s own holdings of gold within its official reserves, which are held at the Bank of England.

Treasury: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  whether his Department offers employees a payroll deduction service to enable staff to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: HM Treasury does not offer a payroll deduction service to enable staff to join a credit union.

Treasury: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what preparations his Department is making for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement; and how much funding has been allocated to those preparations.

Robert Jenrick: We remain focused on ensuring our smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU with a deal. However, a responsible government prepares for all contingencies, and since the referendum.The Treasury has allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to departments and Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This breaks down as £412m over the spending review period for the Department for Exiting the European Union, Department for International Trade and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (Autumn Statement 2016); £286m of additional funding for 2017/18 (a full breakdown of which can be found in Supplementary Estimates 2017/18); over £1.5 billion for 2018/19 (Supplementary Estimates 2018/19); and over £2 billion for 2019/20 (Main Estimates 2019/20).This funding is to cover all exit scenarios and is in addition to departmental efforts to reprioritise from business as usual toward preparations for the UK’s departure from the EU. Work on no-deal exit preparations cannot be readily separated from other EU exit work, given the significant overlap in plans in many cases.

Offshore Industry: Taxation

Clive Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 March 2019 on Decommissioning Relief Deeds, HCWS1435, what the name is of the oil company that defaulted on its decommissioning obligations causing the Government to make two payments totaling £45.4 million in 2017-18; what the circumstances were of that default; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the evidential basis for calculating the provision of £357.1 million for future defaults.

Robert Jenrick: HM Treasury’s 2018-19 accounts recognise a provision of £357m payable to MCX Dunlin and MCX Osprey in respect of decommissioning expenditure in relation to the Dunlin cluster of fields, created as a result of Fairfield Energy defaulting on their decommissioning obligations. The decision to decommission the Dunlin cluster was a commercial decision made by Fairfield Energy, MCX Dunlin and MCX Osprey after reaching agreement with the Oil and Gas Authority that maximised economic recovery had been achieved for these assets. The provision is based on the tax relief due on the estimated remaining costs of decommissioning the defaulted fields, discounted for the time value of money.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the tax duty revenue was from (a) aviation gasoline, (b) aviation turbine fuel, (c) unleaded petrol and (d) diesel in each year since 2010.

Robert Jenrick: Total tax receipts from aviation gasoline, aviation turbine fuel, unleaded petrol and diesel are shown in the table below:  YearAviation gasoline (£m)Aviation turbine fuel (£m)Unleaded petrol (£m)Diesel (£m)2010/119.30.111,46514,8262011/129.40.110,86214,9442012/137.60.110,24715,2472013/147.70.19,95915,8222014/157.80.29,70616,3412015/167.70.29,56216,9652016/178.00.29,42017,4482017/187.80.29,19217,6212018/19 (provisional)7.80.29,28017,657

Gaming Machines

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Finance Bill, what steps his Department is taking to require a review of the public health effects of fixed odds betting terminals.

Robert Jenrick: Public Health England were asked to conduct an evidence review of the health aspects of gambling-related harm to inform action on prevention and treatment and are due to report back in Spring 2020. The Government will shortly publish the report into the public health effects of the two gambling duty provisions as required by Finance Act 2019.

Corporation Tax: Electronic Government

Marion Fellows: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 266803 on Taxation: Electronic Government, when he plans to open a consultation on proceeding with Making Tax Digital for Corporation Tax.

Jesse Norman: The Government will formally consult before any decision is taken to proceed with Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Corporation Tax. Any announcement will be considered as part of the fiscal events process, and made in due course.

Redundancy Pay: Public Sector

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government expects to publish the findings of the public consultation on restricting exit payments in the public sector.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to respond to the public consultation on restricting exit payments in the public sector.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to engage with (a) local authorities and (b) trade unions as part of the public consultation on restricting exit payments in the public sector.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of an exemption for low-paid workers as part of the Government's plan  to restrict exit payments in the public sector.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will undertake an equality impact assessment on the Government's plan to restrict exit payments in the public sector.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has made an assessment of the effect of restricting exit payments in the public sector on the pensions of staff employed by local authorities.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that long-service public sector workers on lower pay scales are not inequitably affected by the restriction on exit payments in the public sector.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment the Government has undertaken on the restriction of exit payments on public sector staff in (a) local authorities, (b) the Civil Service (c) the NHS, (d) the armed forces and (e) police forces.

Elizabeth Truss: The government has previously consulted and legislated on the policy for a cap of £95,000 on exit payments in the public sector. The consultation published on 10 April 2019 sought views on the draft regulations to implement this policy. An impact assessment was conducted and published in the 2016 consultation ahead of the primary legislation. Following the current consultation, a further equalities assessment will be conducted on the final version of the legislation. The government believes it is right to include all payments related to exit within the cap. The cap does not affect any pension that a person has earned through their years of service or have any impact on accrued pension rights. Instead the cap ensures that any additional contribution to that pension made by the employer to fund early access to a pension is limited to no more than £95,000, on account these costs are ultimately funded by the taxpayer. We accept that there will be some circumstances where it will be necessary or desirable to relax the cap. As such, a waiver system will be in place for use in exceptional situations, including where imposing the cap would cause genuine hardship. At the request of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), HM Treasury officials met with the TUC and their members during the consultation period. The government is currently considering responses to the consultation on the draft regulations to implement the public sector exit payment cap. The government will respond to the consultation and finalised regulations will be laid before Parliament in due course.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Julie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money was accrued to the public purse from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the 2017-18 financial year.

Robert Jenrick: The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was introduced in April 2018 with money to the public purse accruing from this date. Monthly and annual receipts from SDIL are published in HMRC’s National Statistics publication, which can be accessed via this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk

Children: Day Care

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential merits of the Government providing upfront financial support for childcare to parents claiming universal credit.

Elizabeth Truss: The Chancellor has regular discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on a range of topics. The government is committed to helping parents into work, and recognises that childcare costs can affect their decisions to take up work or increase their hours. That is why we are spending almost £6 billion in 2019-20 on childcare. Universal Credit claimants are able to claim up to 85% of their childcare costs, compared to 70% under the legacy benefit system. This can be claimed up to a month before starting a job, and is worth up to £13,000 a year for a family with two children. Where claimants face difficulty in paying their costs upfront, Jobcentres will use the Flexible Support Fund, which is a non-repayable award. Budgeting advances are also available for those already in work.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the electric vehicle charging infrastructure investment fund will open for applications.

Robert Jenrick: The Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund is a crucial step in accelerating the roll out of chargepoints and ensuring electric vehicle drivers have access to the right infrastructure. In February 2019, the Government entered into exclusive negotiations with a preferred bidder. We are in the final stages of negotiations and the fund is expected to begin investing shortly.

Treasury: Overtime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.

Robert Jenrick: HM Treasury operates a flexible working hours scheme which allows staff to take time off if they work longer hours during the week. It is in the interests of the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff that work in excess of the normal hours of duty in a week should not be consistently required. We are keen to ensure that all staff enjoy a good work life balance and it is with this in mind that we strongly recommend that time off in lieu be taken in the event of working excess hours. However, it is recognised that from time to time, this may be unavoidable. Where it is not appropriate or possible to take time off in lieu of hours worked, staff are paid for these additional hours at plain time rate, in line with our overtime policy.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his Department's policy to sign up to the UK Steel Charter.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with officials in  the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK Steel Charter.

Margot James: We have discussed the procurement of steel with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which has asked all Government departments to consider guidance on steel procurement and to notify of any upcoming opportunities for industry. More broadly, the Government is committed to supporting the steel sector to realise the broader commercial opportunities that are open to it, which could be worth an additional £3.8 billion a year by 2030. We are establishing the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – backed by up to £315m of investment – to help businesses with high energy use (including steel companies) to cut their bills and transition UK industry to a low carbon future. We are also providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Welsh Government

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement.

Margot James: We have been working directly with the Welsh Government and the other devolved administrations at official level to minimise any disruption in the event of no deal. Recently, we have supported the Welsh Government to prepare on data flows in a no deal scenario. We are also working together with the Welsh Government on the continued funding post-exit of Welsh beneficiaries of EU funding programmes, such as Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens.

Cybercrime

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has targets for the number of (a) organisations and (b) people registered for the cyber security information sharing partnership.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of pieces of information that were shared on the cyber security information sharing partnership in the last 12 months.

Margot James: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) runs the cyber security information sharing partnership (CiSP). The CiSP platform has both private and public organisations registered, with over 20 sectors represented. There are over 5,000 organisations and over 11,300 individual members with an active CiSP account as at 1st July 2019. In the past 12 months there have been over 4,000 content pieces published on the CiSP platform, including blogs, alerts and advisories. The NCSC does not have a set target to meet in terms of registering organisations and individual members. Registration is voluntary.

Huawei: 5G

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the uptake of Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre advice and guidance on the risk management of operators.

Margot James: The Communications Act 2003 requires operators to take appropriate measures to manage security risks to their networks and services. The Government expects operators to take appropriate account of the advice and guidance issued by The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) including that in relation to the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre.

Big Lottery Fund: Mansfield

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much Big Lottery funding was allocated to Mansfield constituency in each of the last two years for which data are available.

Mims Davies: Applicants for funding from The National Lottery Community Fund (formerly the Big Lottery Fund) often name their main office as their project delivery location. A high proportion of charities are based in cities and towns, in this instance Nottingham or Sheffield, or have their main office in London, but deliver activity and services to a much wider area. This means figures often don’t reflect the spread of activity and the overall offer of services and projects funded by The National Lottery Community Fund within a particular area. We have included figures for the last five years as this better reflects the investment in the area over this time frame. Mansfield Constituency Financial YearTotal funding allocated2014-15£447,8252015-16£2,332,0982016-17£4,794,236*2017-18£160,2372018-19£446,709  *2016-17 also includes £4,524,800 from Building Better Opportunities which is a matched fund between the National Lottery Community Fund and the European Social Fund.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Overtime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.

Margot James: The department has made no assessment of the amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in the last 24 months, and to do so would incur disproportionate cost. DCMS has a commitment to ensure that employees maintain a healthy work-life balance, and that the working hours of our staff are compliant with the requirements of the Working Time Regulations 1998. All employees have the opportunity to request to work flexi hours, meaning that (with line manager agreement) they can vary the time of their arrival and departure, and that they can take time off for extra hours worked.

Football: Females

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote women's football in (a) Liverpool and (b) England.

Mims Davies: The government is determined to get more girls and women playing sport, something we set out in our sport strategy, Sporting Future. Football is the second most played team sport for adult women and the top ranked team sport in terms of participation for girls. We are investing £14.6million into the Football Association (FA) through Sport England between 2017 and 2021, to support their grassroots participation, talent and coaching programmes. £2.6million of this is specifically reserved for women and girls talent programmes, helping the FA reach its aspiration to double the number of women and girls teams. The FA also receive an additional £2m each year towards improving diversity in its coaching workforce. Government is also investing £18million to the Football Foundation charity each year to help deliver a programme of new and improved community sports facilities in towns and cities across the country. All public funding provided is used to benefit men’s, women’s and disability football; for example, investment in a mixed coaching programme or facility will benefit all groups within that community. Liverpool, for example, has benefitted to the sum of £15.2millon for football programmes over the last three years from the Football Foundation, which includes a mix of public funding and investment from the FA and the Premier League. This includes the delivery of a Parklife Football Hub, which is home to women and girls clubs, recreational programmes and women’s beginner football festivals.

Leader of the House

Leader of the House of Commons: Overtime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Leader of the House, what estimate he has made of the total amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.

Mel Stride: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is supported by Cabinet Office staff, and I refer the Hon. member to question 272747 and the answer to be provided by the Department. Claimed overtime for staff in the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is paid in accordance with the Department’s procedures. Information on unpaid overtime is not held.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Sharing Economy: Conditions of Employment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to protect workers rights in the gig economy.

Kelly Tolhurst: Advances in technology and the rise of the gig economy have increased opportunities for people to work more flexibly. While we welcome these opportunities, they cannot be at the expense of workers’ rights.That is why my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor to undertake his review of Modern Working Practices, and why we are taking the decisive action set out in the Good Work Plan to address his recommendations.We have already made good progress. This Government have taken important steps to improve the transparency of information between workers and employers. Our research found that flexible workers, such as those in the gig economy, require stronger protections in terms of understanding the conditions of their employment before starting a job.As such, we laid two statutory instruments in December that extends the right to a written statement to all workers and make access to a written statement a day one right.Previously, an employee was entitled to a written statement after a month with the same employer. Our legislation means that from day one, workers in the gig economy have access to information such as maternity and paternity leave, specifics of when they are expected to work, whether the work is variable, and their eligibility for certain benefits.This represents a significant step in the protection of workers rights in the gig economy and highlights our commitment to protecting the rights of workers across the country.

Clean Growth Ministerial Group

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2019 to Question 264459 on the Clean Growth Ministerial Group, whether the Environment and Clean Growth Inter-Ministerial Group met between 16 April 2018 and 21 May 2019.

Chris Skidmore: The Environment and Clean Growth Inter-Ministerial Group did not meet between 16 April 2018 and 21 May 2019. Departments met to discuss clean growth, decarbonisation and wider environmental policy on a regular basis over that period, at both official and ministerial level.

GKN: King's Norton

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he is planning to hold the meeting with GKN Aerospace and the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield on the future of GKN Aerospace in Kings Norton.

Andrew Stephenson: We are currently working with both parties to find the earliest mutually convenient date and time for the meeting to take place.

Post Office: Legal Profession

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who the six law firms are that are approved to provide legal services to Post Office Limited.

Kelly Tolhurst: The selection of law firms to provide legal services to Post Office Limited is an operational matter for the company in which my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State plays no role. However, Post Office Limited receives legal services from the following six law firms:Linklaters LLPNorton Rose Fullbright LLPPinsent MasonsDAC Beachcrofts LLPWomble Bond DickinsonAshfords LLP.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: G4S

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) value of contracts his Department has awarded to G4S since July 2013.

Andrew Stephenson: BEIS records show that we have not awarded any contracts to G4S since it formed in July 2016.

Boilers: Hydrogen

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that new gas boilers are hydrogen-ready.

Chris Skidmore: The Government considers that hydrogen technologies have the potential to make an important contribution to decarbonising heating.The Department commissioned Frazer Nash to prepare the report ‘Appraisal of Domestic Hydrogen Appliances’, published in 2018, which discusses the feasibility and merits of hydrogen-ready appliances as well as the adaption of existing natural gas appliances and new designated hydrogen fuelled appliances.The Department is also currently delivering the Hy4Heat innovation programme; an ongoing programme assessing the feasibility of hydrogen heating applications in buildings. This programme supports the design, development and testing of domestic hydrogen appliances, including investigating the potential for products, such as hydrogen-ready boilers, to facilitate conversion: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/appraisal-of-domestic-hydrogen-appliances.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the nuclear industry on the development of new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government believes that nuclear has an important role to play as we transition to a low-carbon economy. Ministers and officials meet developers regularly. Our commitment to new nuclear is demonstrated in the development of the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C and underpinned our landmark £200m Nuclear Sector Deal. The forthcoming Energy White Paper will set out our approach to new nuclear.

Whirlpool Corporation: Tumble Dryers

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to require Whirlpool to pay compensation to people who personally paid for repairs or replacement of their tumbledryer due to their safety concerns prior to the recall of the product.

Kelly Tolhurst: The priority for the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is public safety.If any individual consumers have already paid for a replacement due to concerns over safety, they can raise the matter directly with Whirlpool.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Overtime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.

Andrew Stephenson: BEIS does not keep a record of unpaid overtime worked in the Department. There may be occasions when employees have to work more than their conditioned hours. In these circumstances staff below the Senior Civil Service are be able to claim overtime or time off in lieu for the additional hours that have been worked.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Older People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support the construction of specialist housing for elderly people.

Kit Malthouse: There is a clear link between ageing and the need for more accessible housing. The National Planning Policy Framework expects planning authorities to have specific policies to address the housing needs of older people and we have recently published new guidance to help councils implement these policies.The Framework expects local planning authorities to use the Government’s standards for accessible and adaptable housing when preparing their plans, where this would address an identified need. In addition, the Government has also recently announced that it will consult on mandating higher accessibility standards for new housing.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Barandon Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Testerton Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Hurstway Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Treadgold House are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Bramley House are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Camborne Mews are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Camelford Court are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Camelford Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of the flats in Upper Camelford Walk are waiting to be deep-cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and how many of those flats are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Clarendon Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Lower Clarendon Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Morland House are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the flats in Talbot Grove House are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and of those flats how many are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of the flats in Talbot Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and how many of those flats are (i) occupied and (ii) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of the flats in Upper Talbot Walk are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and how many of those flats are (i) occupied and (ii) empty.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of the flats in Verity Close are waiting to be deep cleaned after the Grenfell Tower fire; and how many of those flats are (a) occupied and (b) empty.

Kit Malthouse: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council (RBKC) report that they do not record data on the deep cleaning of flats on a block-by-block basis. A programme of deep cleaning was offered and provided to residents from Barandon Walk; Testerton Walk; Hurstway Walk; Treadgold House; Bramley House; Camborne Mews; Camelford Court; Camelford Walk; Upper Camelford Walk; Clarendon Walk; Lower Clarendon Walk; Morland House; Talbot Grove House; Talbot Walk; Upper Talbot Walk; and Verity Close when requested and access provided.RBKC report that over 300 properties from these blocks on the Lancaster West Estate have been deep cleaned. 61 properties from these blocks are void properties, and are either awaiting or currently undergoing refurbishment work, which will include deep cleaning, before they are re-let through the estate’s Local Lettings Plan. The only other properties on the estate that have not been deep cleaned are properties where the household has chosen not to accept the offer of cleaning; or properties that are not currently occupied, pending a decision from the household on whether to return to their home.Deep cleaning is also completed as part of refurbishment works to empty properties on the estate, and when households plan to return home from interim accommodation. No household is expected to return home before cleaning has been completed. RBKC have confirmed they would be happy to carry out any further cleaning for households on the estate, and this can be arranged through the Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team.

Community Housing Fund

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to extend funding for the Community Housing Fund beyond 2020.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 04 July 2019



The Community Housing Fund is currently scheduled to close in March 2020. Decisions on funding for 2020-21 onwards are a matter for the Spending Review, which will take place this year.The Government recognises that the community-led housing sector offers significant potential for helping to meet housing need across England. In addition to helping increase the rate of delivery of new housing, it will help deliver a range of benefits including diversifying the housebuilding sector, improving design and construction quality, developing modern methods of construction, and sustaining local communities and local economies. The support and close involvement of the local community enables the community-led approach to secure planning permission and deliver housing that could not be brought forward through speculative development.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2019 to Question 265525 on Buildings: Insulation, which materials referred to in the Written Statement of 1 May 2019, Official Report HCWS1533, have now been tested; and whether those tests have uncovered an immediate public safety concern.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 04 July 2019



A full picture of the outcomes of the tests can only be provided following a detailed analysis of all the test data. We expect this analysis to be completed in the summer and we will publish the conclusions of the programme thereafter.As agreed with the Independent Expert Advisory Panel none of the tests undertaken so far have uncovered the need for immediate public safety concern.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on large scale fire safety tests of timber cladding in the UK.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 04 July 2019



We do not hold any information on large scale fire safety test carried out in the UK on timber cladding

Land Compensation Act 1961

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Land Compensation Act 1961 to ensure that land is made available for development at lower values and affordable high-quality homes can be built.

Kit Malthouse: The Government has recently introduced wide ranging reforms to make the compulsory purchase process clearer, fairer and faster for all. Our reforms in the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 include clarification of the ‘no scheme principle’ which underpins CPO compensation, making it easier and quicker to establish the fair market value of sites. We are keen for local authorities to now make more proactive use of their extensive powers, which can be used to support a wide range of development and regeneration projects. The Government will continue to consider whether further reform would be appropriate over the longer term.

Help to Buy Scheme: Greater London

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homes have been purchased through the Help to Buy scheme in (a) Lewisham, Deptford, (b) Lewisham borough and (c) London in each year since the scheme's inception.

Kit Malthouse: Data on Help to Buy: Equity Loan completions is published by local authority, but not by constituency.Completions each year through Help to Buy: Equity Loan in Lewisham borough and London from April 2013 to December 2018 are as follows:Local authority/authorities2013 April to December20142015201620172018London Borough of Lewisham3139117170314286London91915121696248544835643The latest official quarterly release of Help to Buy: Equity Loan statistics to December 2018 can be viewed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-statistics-april-2013-to-31-december-2018Completions by local authority are listed on Table 1 in the section Tables.

Public Buildings: Disability

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to bring forward legislative proposals to require public buildings to provide changing facilities for people with a disability.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to make Changing Places toilets a mandatory requirement for public (a) buildings and (b) spaces.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage venues with a Changing Places facility to register with the Changing Places Consortium.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government  what assessment he has made of the effect on disabled people and their ability to leave their homes of the availability of publicly accessible changing and toilet facilities.

Rishi Sunak: Government is currently consulting on how we can increase provision of Changing Places toilets in specific new, large buildings commonly used by the public and those undergoing major refurbishment, through a change to building regulations. Please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changing-places-toiletsThe consultation includes an assessment of impacts of increasing provision of Changing Places toilets. The benefits of these facilities are societal, addressing a known need within our communities. Increasing provision will enable people with complex care needs to take part in everyday activities such as travel, shopping, family days out or attending a sporting event.The Government has worked with the Changing Places campaign to increase the number of facilities and register them with the Changing Places Consortium. The Department, with contribution from the Devolved Administrations, provided £70,000 to develop an online map that helps carers and disabled people find Changing Places toilets.

Second Homes: Registration

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to tackle the loop-hole which allows people to register second homes as Air B&B facilities.

Kit Malthouse: The Government supports new business models and the economic benefits that they can bring. All landlords who let out accommodation on a short term basis must do so responsibly and in accordance with the law.

Affordable Housing: Rural Areas

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to introduce an affordable homes target for rural England into Homes England’s objectives.

Kit Malthouse: Homes England’s Strategic Business Plan sets out their mission, objectives and public facing key performance indicators (KPIs). Homes England’s objectives already include supporting more affordable housing and providing expert support to priority locations. Through this commitment to support priority locations, government funding is directed to address affordability where it poses the greatest problem for the country so homes can be built where they are most needed.It is the responsibility of local authorities to plan to reflect local needs, particularly for affordable housing, including through rural exception sites. Homes England has dedicated rural housing champions in each of their operating areas and they remain active across the rural housing sector to ensure that the profile of affordable rural housing remains high.

Local Government Finance

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on his Department’s ability to make decisions on funding for local authorities.

Rishi Sunak: MHCLG continues to be focused on delivering the Government’s most pressing priorities, one of which is making sure the UK is prepared for all Brexit scenarios on exit day. We have made £58 million available to support councils in preparing for Brexit.The upcoming Spending Review will be our opportunity to look at funding for local authorities in the round. The Department has set up a comprehensive programme of work to get a picture of service costs and pressures.

Sleeping Rough

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the level of central Government funding required to enable local authorities to assist in meeting the Government’s target of halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it by 2027.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy, committing to end rough sleeping for good, with the aim of halving it by 2022. The strategy sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all.The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces, in addition to the £30 million allocated last year to those areas with the highest numbers of rough sleepers through the same initiative.The Chancellor has said that there will be a Spending Review this year, and the Government will be looking at long term funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services as part of that. Ministers have made very clear that homelessness and rough sleeping is a key priority for the Government. We are working with other Government departments to assess what more can be done to combat rough sleeping and wider homelessness. This work is being overseen by the Ministerial Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce which includes HM Treasury and will play an important part of our preparations for the forthcoming Spending Review.

Affordable Housing: Rural Areas

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing in rural areas to meet the demand from (a) young people and (b) families.

Kit Malthouse: This Government believes that meeting the housing needs of rural communities is important and has provided nearly 140,000 affordable homes in rural local authorities in England since April 2010.Our £9 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver 250,000 new affordable homes of a wide range of tenures, including social rent by March 2022. The expanded programme will help meet the housing needs of a wider range of people – those who are on a pathway to home ownership, and those who need support most.Since 2015, over 10 per cent of additional Affordable Homes have been delivered in villages with a population of fewer than 3000, and we recognise the importance of these settlements for both economic and housing growth.The National Planning Policy Framework makes it clear that in rural areas housing development that reflect local needs should be supported.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Written Questions

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government,  when he intends to provide an answer to Question 268565 tabled on 24 June 2019 for answer on 27 June 2019; and for what reason there has been a delay in answering that Question.

Kit Malthouse: We will respond to the Hon Member's question shortly.

Affordable Housing: Rural Areas

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that communities and local authorities work together to provide adequate numbers of affordable homes in rural areas when drawing up Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans.

Kit Malthouse: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Defence

Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Pay

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether she plans to increase Royal Fleet Auxiliary pay at the same rate as that of the Royal Navy; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary are Civil Servants and are not members of the Armed Forces. Their terms and conditions, including their pay, are subject to civilian rules in the wider public sector. As such, pay is subject to HM Treasury Civil Servant Pay Guidance.

Ministry of Defence: Brexit

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on her Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement.

Mark Lancaster: Defence Ministers have not had any discussions so far with the Welsh Government on preparations for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement. However, Defence personnel, including Military resilience liaison officers based in Wales, engage regularly with the Welsh Government and other stakeholders on a range of matters including resilience and No Deal planning.

NATO: Military Exercises

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for the conclusion of Exercise Dynamic Mongoose 19.

Mark Lancaster: The UK assets participating in Exercise Dynamic Mongoose 19 are due to conclude their deployment on 12 July 2019.

Army: Incentives

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many bonuses have been paid by the Army/Capita to recruits who agree to enlist earlier than originally intended; what the average size is of those bonus payments; what the total sum spent is on those bonuses as of 2 July 2019; and what the qualifying criteria are for those bonus payments.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP) has been resourced to prioritise recruiting using a range of tools, including financial incentives. Historically, these have incentivised candidates to join specific trades or to start training quickly.The RPP has set aside some £885,000 to date, to incentivise candidates, who are able to do so, to start training quickly where there are anticipated spaces on training intakes. These bonuses were comprised of single payments of £2,500 to 354 candidates, split over two separate incentive periods.Qualifying criteria require the candidate to commence the relevant training (e.g. Infantry at Infantry Training Centre Catterick) in target months, be over 18 years of age and to have passed their Discharge as of Right period.

Astute Class Submarines

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if she will publish the seven Astute class submarines by (a) name, (b) actual or estimated in-service date and (c) estimated out-of-service date.

Stuart Andrew: HMS ASTUTE, HMS AMBUSH, and HMS ARTFUL have entered service with the Royal Navy. AUDACIOUS, ANSON, AGAMEMNON and AGINCOURT are in various stages of build.The planned in-service and out-of-service dates for Royal Navy submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Future Large Aircraft

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if she will publish the (a) problems with the (i) engines and (ii) gearbox of the A400M aircraft and (b) extent of the work required to address those problems.

Stuart Andrew: The A400M's engine, the TP-400, is provided by EuroProp International, a subcontractor to Airbus. Problems have been seen on combustion chambers on early versions of the TP-400 degrading at a faster rate than expected; these are currently being replaced with an improved design. The engine's propeller gearbox has also experienced some issues due to faulty components; these are being replaced with new and redesigned parts. This work will be undertaken during periods of planned maintenance to avoid further impacting availability and is expected to be completed by mid-2020. There is no cost to the Ministry of Defence as it is covered by contractual warranties.

Future Large Aircraft

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what decisions were taken at the recent NATO Ministerial meeting on the Airbus A400m aircraft.

Stuart Andrew: At the A400M Ministerial meeting on 28 June 2019, a decision was made to progress negotiations with the engine manufacturer on the future support solution for the TP-400 engine, with a view to significantly reducing support costs. Ministers directed that Airbus Defence and Space, as the prime contractor, should participate in those negotiations.Agreement was also reached to sign a six-nation aircraft support contract to provide common support services and spares to supplement national arrangements and a decision was taken that the A400M Programme Division of OCCAR would relocate from its current base in Toulouse to Madrid in 2022 to enable closer working between the sponsor, prime contractor and subcontractor.

Future Large Aircraft

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the circumstances were of any crashes involving A400M aircraft.

Stuart Andrew: There has been one crash of an industry-operated A400M, on 9 May 2015. The aircraft was on a test flight, having just completed production in Seville. The crash was investigated by the Spanish Air Accident Investigation Authority, who attributed the cause of the accident to how the engine software had been loaded. A fleetwide software change has since been implemented to prevent the possibility of a reoccurrence.

HMS Audacious

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Audacious will enter service.

Stuart Andrew: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 February 2019 to Question 220928 to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Mr Chapman).



220928 - HMS Audacious
(Word Document, 21.9 KB)

Saudi Arabia: Military Alliances

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment she has made of the future of the UK-Saudi defence relationship.

Mark Lancaster: Saudi Arabia is a key ally in a strategically important region. It is an important partner in trade and investment, education, counter terrorism, defence, and energy security. We are committed to maintaining and developing the relationship.

Iran: Politics and Government

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Iran.

Mark Lancaster: We are extremely concerned by Iran's breach of the nuclear deal and we are working intensively to keep the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in place.We remain clear that the nuclear deal is still the best option in the interests of global security. It is critical that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons and this deal makes the world a safer place by taking the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran off the table.Iranian attacks on tankers in the Gulf and a US drone violate international norms and increase the risk of escalation by miscalculation. We are continuing to use all diplomatic channels to work with the international community to restore maritime security in the Gulf and de-escalate regional tensions.

Ministry of Defence: G4S

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) value of contracts her Department has awarded to G4S since July 2013.

Stuart Andrew: Since July 2013 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded one contract with G4S, which ended in July 2018. The total value of this contract was £2.2 million.Information about the contracts that we place with industry is available on GOV.uk as part of our MOD Trade, Industry and Contracts statistics:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/defence-trade-and-industry-indexIn addition, MOD contracts worth over £10,000 are published on the Government's Contracts Finder website, which is available on GOV.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the effect of the suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia on UK contractors assisting the Saudi-led coalition in Saudi Arabia .

Stuart Andrew: We are working closely with our UK industrial partners to assess the possible impacts of the suspension. However, I am withholding further details as this information is commercially sensitive.

Armed Forces: Young People

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether isolated incidents of sleepwalking between the ages of 13 to 18 years old constitutes grounds for a permanent bar to entry to the armed forces.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The medical entry standards for the Armed Forces are uniquely stringent to ensure operational efficiency and the safety of personnel in the operational environment. Accordingly, a history of a number of medical conditions are a bar to Service.Sleepwalking poses a risk of injury to personnel within the operational environment (such as a hostile land environment or the confines of a ship at sea), as the individual has no awareness of their situation or actions. Consequently, unless an applicant can prove their diagnosis was incorrect, Armed Forces candidates with a history of sleepwalking experienced after the age of 13 are graded Permanently Unfit for Service.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Procurement

Douglas Ross: What progress is being made on the delivery to the UK of the Poseidon MRA Mk1 (P-8A) aircraft.

Mark Lancaster: Initial build of the first UK aircraft is complete. Painted in RAF livery, its first flight is scheduled for later this week. Delivery, as the RAF’s first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, is expected in October. Manufacture of the second aircraft, for delivery in January 2020, is under way. The first two aircrew courses have graduated and engineering training is ongoing. Construction of support infrastructure at RAF Lossiemouth is also continuing apace, so significant progress is being made.

Defence: Aerospace Industry

Rosie Cooper: If she will make an assessment of the sustainability of the UK defence aerospace sector.

Stuart Andrew: The UK is at the forefront of the defence aerospace industry. The Ministry of Defence is continuing to invest in capability development of aerospace platforms, which will protect highly skilled jobs for many years to come. The UK’s Combat Air Strategy, launched at the 2018 Farnborough International Air Show, sets out a clear way forward for preserving national advantage and choice in how our future Combat Air capability is delivered.

National Security

Phil Wilson: What steps her Department is taking to protect the UK from hybrid threats by hostile states and actors.

Mark Lancaster: Hybrid threats present themselves in many domains. Therefore, we utilise a ‘whole of government’ approach to protecting the UK against such activity. The MOD works collaboratively with other government departments, in line with Fusion Doctrine, to support this approach. It is important that the UK continues to work with and support our international partners in NATO and the EU, contributing to and drawing upon the different tools of these organisations to protect against hybrid threats.

Defence: Industry

Mr Virendra Sharma: What steps she is taking to support the UK defence industry.

Stuart Andrew: On the 14 of March, we provided an update to Parliament on our ambitious Defence Prosperity Programme. This includes work to sustain an internationally competitive and productive UK Defence sector and grow exports and inward investment. In the past two years, we have published strategies for Shipbuilding and Combat Air and refreshed our Defence Industrial Policy with a new emphasis on supporting growth and competitiveness.

Department for International Trade

Electric Vehicles: Overseas Trade

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to support international trade and investment in the electric vehicle sector.

Graham Stuart: In line with the Industrial Strategy Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, the Department for International Trade works hard to identify prospective buyers and investors in order to secure next-generation automotive exports, FDI, and a strong zero-emission vehicle supply chain. We work through our diplomatic posts overseas to promote our innovative R&D ecosystem and communicate the substantial government funding available for electric vehicle R&D. The government’s aim of being at the forefront of the development and manufacturing of the next generation of electric vehicles was recently bolstered by JLR’s announced investment in UK electric vehicles.

Iron and Steel: UK Trade with EU

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he is making to the European Commission on quotas for UK steel exports into the EU in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: I refer the Member for Aberavon to the answer I gave on 25 February 2019 to Question UIN 221544.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to paragraph 141 of the Court of Appeal judgment in R (on the application of Campaign Against Arms Trade) v The Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reason his Department's policy was not to assess past violations of international humanitarian law by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Graham Stuart: The central issue in relation to military exports to the Saudi-led coalition in the context of the conflict in Yemen is Criterion 2c of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the Government will not grant an export licence if there is a clear risk that the item might be used in the commission of a serious violation of IHL). Criterion 2c is a prospective and predictive exercise as to whether there is a clear risk in the future. Although the Government has always considered the historic record in respect of IHL, past instances are only a part of the picture in relation to Criterion 2c. The Court of Appeal judgment concerns reaching findings on IHL in specific incidents in the past. The Government’s approach has recognised the inherent difficulty of doing so where we do not have access to complete information. We are now considering the implications of the judgment for decision-making.

Department for International Trade: Overtime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.

George Hollingbery: This information is not centrally held. Line managers have a responsibility for ensuring that staff are not working excessive hours, and the department is compliant with the requirements of the Working Time Regulations 1998 in respect of civil servants' working hours. DIT is committed to supporting the wellbeing of all its members of staff. The department has a Stress Policy that introduced the provision of Mental Health First Aiders who can provide a range of support to both employees and managers, including access to our Employee Counselling Service. In January 2019, the department launched the Health & Wellbeing Plan, which includes activity to train senior leaders in Wellbeing Confidence.

Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to incentivise the take-up of electric vehicles in areas with high levels of pollution.

Michael Ellis: The UK Government takes its air quality obligations extremely seriously and is firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions. In July 2017, we published the UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations, setting out how we will achieve compliance in the shortest possible time. As a result of this, we are now working closely with 61 English local authorities, and have placed legal duties on them to tackle their nitrogen dioxide exceedances. This is underpinned by £495m in funding, including £220m Clean Air Fund to mitigate the impact of the plans on individuals and businesses. This funding can include, where appropriate, funding towards incentivising take up of electric vehicles. To support the transition to zero emission vehicles, we are investing nearly £1.5bn‎ between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug in vehicles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets. We have made real progress to date. 200,000 ultra-low emission vehicles are now registered in the UK, and we now have over 20,000 publicly accessible chargepoints. More than 2,000 are rapid devices – one of the largest networks in Europe. In London, the Plug-in Car Grant (PIGC) paid out £45m in respect of vehicles registered in London.

Railways: WiFi

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has he made of the value for money of the £47.8 million funding allocated by his Department to the (a) Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern, (b) Southeastern and (c) Chiltern and Arriva Trains Wales rail operators to improve wi-fi on trains since 2016.

Andrew Jones: In 2014, the Department stated that the Network Rail fine of £47.8 million would be used to fund on-train wifi services including Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN), South Eastern, Chiltern and Wales and Border (operated by Arriva Trains Wales at the time) rail franchises. A value for money assessment was undertaken for the On-train Wifi policy, which included these franchises, and it had a high value for money.

Railways: WiFi

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate has he made of average wi-fi speeds on (a) Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern, (b) Southeastern and (c) Chiltern trains in (i) 2017 and (ii) 2018 and (iii) 2019.

Andrew Jones: The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the average Wi-fi speeds on these routes. Ofcom are currently surveying the mobile signal strength to the train across the rail network. We expect the first publication to be later this year.

Railways: Telecommunications

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what responsibility his Department has for improving telecommunications across the rail network compared with that of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is leading on the manifesto commitment to improve passenger connectivity, as part of the government’s digital strategy. The Department for Transport is working closely with DCMS to deliver this commitment and to improve passenger connectivity when franchises are renewed.

Railways: WiFi

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s decision to set a 50MB limit on the data allowance for wi-fi on trains agreed with train operators in 2016; and what proportion of rail passengers have reached that maximum data allowance in each year since that limit was introduce.

Andrew Jones: The Department agreed a specific amount of funding for data when making changes to existing franchise agreements; Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN), South Eastern, Chiltern and Wales and Border (operated by Arriva Trains Wales at the time). Decisions on how this funding is managed, including any data limits, is for the Train Operating Companies (TOCs). The proportion of passengers that reached the maximum data allowance for their journey ranges from 5% to 25%. This varies across TOCs and is highly dependent on the length of journey and passenger usage preferences.

Railways: WiFi

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (b) mobile phone operators and (c) train operators on improving wi-fi services throughout the rail network.

Andrew Jones: I met with Margot James, the Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, on 15 January 2019 to discuss passenger connectivity. My officials have regular discussions with their counterparts at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). They also regularly engage directly with mobile phone and train operators. This is on a 1:1 basis, through franchise discussions and at industry led forums, the most recent in March and June this year. Officials from both departments are assisting the mobile phone operators to trial new types of antennas at the government funded 5G rail test bed at Network Rail’s Rail Innovation Development Centre.

Railways

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many schemes have progressed through each of the five stages of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline since the publication of the paper entitled, A new approach for rail enhancements in March 2018.

Andrew Jones: We are committed to transparent policy making in line with the Government response the Transport Select Committee’s 2018 Rail Infrastructure Investment inquiry. In due course we will be publishing information on how schemes have progressed through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. In addition, Network Rail will continue to provide updates on the progress of enhancements which have received a Final Investment Decision, through the quarterly publication of its Enhancements Delivery Plan.

Railways

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings his Department has held on the rail network enhancements pipeline with (a) Welsh Ministers, (b) the Mayor of London, (c) combined authority mayors, (d) integrated transport authorities, (e) local authorities and (f) private sector investors since the publication of his paper on a new approach to rail enhancements in March 2018; and what enhancements were discussed at each meeting.

Andrew Jones: Ministers and Officials hold regular meetings with interested stakeholders to discuss a wide variety of issues related to rail enhancements.

Railways

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent posts in his Department have been allocated to the rail network enhancements pipeline since March 2018.

Andrew Jones: Four full time equivalent posts have been allocated to the rail network enhancements pipeline since March 2018.

Railways

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what new Network Rail enhancement projects have been announced since the commencement of control period six.

Andrew Jones: Network Rail provides updates on the progress of enhancements already in the portfolio, through the quarterly publication of its Enhancements Delivery Plan. This document lists schemes which have received a final investment decision.

Railways

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many strategic outline business cases for rail network enhancements have been (a) received and (b) accepted by his Department since March 2018.

Andrew Jones: The Government is committed to transparent policy making and intends to make clear public statements as we take investment decisions on enhancements.In due course we will be publishing details of schemes which have received a strategic outline business case. Additionally, Network Rail will continue to provide updates on the progress of enhancements which have received a Final Investment Decision (FID), through the quarterly publication of its Enhancements Delivery Plan.

Shipping: Exhaust Emissions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government has taken to (a) promote and (b) support shipping businesses in achieving the International Maritime Organization’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by 50 per cent by 2050.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK played a key role in the agreement of an ambitious IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy in April 2018. The Government is committed to the IMO’s 2050 goal and broader ambition to fully decarbonise the international shipping industry. The UK continues to play an active role at the IMO to ensure that the ambitions in the strategy are met, and that short and mid-term measures are agreed and adopted as soon as possible. The UK is working with international partners and industry on measures to encourage a global transition to low and zero carbon marine energy sources. The Government will be publishing the UK’s first ‘Clean Maritime Plan’ later this summer, which will outline how we intend to support the transition to zero emissions shipping in the UK.

Shipping: Exhaust Emissions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to create incentives for shipping companies to reduce (a) nitrogen dioxide, (b) nitric oxide and (c) carbon dioxide emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: In January 2019 the Government published Maritime 2050, which set out strategic ambitions for the future of the maritime sector, including a vision for zero emission shipping. In Maritime 2050, we committed to assess how economic instruments could support the transition to zero emission shipping in the medium to long term. We also committed to consider whether and how the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) could be used to encourage the uptake of low carbon fuels in maritime. Government will this week publish the Clean Maritime Plan, which will set out further detail on our plans to create incentives for shipping companies to reduce both air quality pollutant emissions and carbon dioxide. I will make a further statement to the House on the measures included within the plan on the day of publication.

Taxis

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his timescale is for bringing forward legislative proposals to reform the taxi and private hire industry.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Government will bring forward legislation in respect of the commitments made in the response to the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing when time allows.

London North Eastern Railway: Rail Gourmet Holding

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when Rail Gourmet’s contract with LNER on the East Coast Mainline is planned to expire.

Andrew Jones: The Department does not hold this information. Provision of catering is an operational matter for LNER.

London North Eastern Railway: Rail Gourmet Holding

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of LNER on Rail Gourmet not paying the living wage on the East Coast Mainline.

Andrew Jones: The Department has had no such discussions. Provision of catering is an operational matter for LNER.

London North Eastern Railway: Living Wage

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there are any provisions in LNER's franchise agreement that would prevent that compnay from ensuring that its sub-contractors pay the living wage.

Andrew Jones: LNER operates under a Services Agreement rather than a Franchise Agreement. There are no such provisions in the LNER Services Agreement.

London North Eastern Railway: Catering

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential value for money merits of bringing outsourced catering staff on the East Coast Mainline back in-house.

Andrew Jones: The Department has not made an assessment. Provision of catering is an operational matter for LNER.

Shipping: Exhaust Emissions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on taking steps to adopt the International Maritime Organization’s interim goal of reducing shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2050.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department for Transport is working closely with other Government departments, international partners and industry to develop measures to meet the IMO’s ambition of reducing shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2050 I regularly meet with Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss a wide range of issues including the maritime environment.

Transport

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June to Question 266291 on Transport: Exhaust Emissions, what methodology his Department used to provide real term changes in percentages in cost of transport in the Answer of 16 January 2018 to Question 121761 on Travel.

Michael Ellis: Rail, Bus and Coach and MotoringThe real terms changes in percentage costs for years 1997, 2010 and 2015 were calculated using the components of Retail Price Index (RPI) from the ‘RPI All Items Index 1987=100’ available from the Office for National Statistics:https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/chaw/mm23 These figures are based on the following component categories:CHAW- RPI All Items; DOCW-Rail Fares; DOCX- Bus and Coach Fares; CHBK- Motoring These component categories have been annualised and re-based to 1997, 2010 and 2015 for comparison to 2016. The RPI All Items index was used to calculate the real terms increases for each transport component. Transport cost increases from 1980 use historic ONS RPI data. This is due to RPI being re-based in 1987. Pre-1987 codes for transport components were matched to the new categories using the code descriptors, which had remained unchanged. The historic data is not published online. The real terms increase from 1980 was then calculated using the same methodology as above. While information prior to 1987 was provided in previous PQ responses, it was drawn from historical data which is not readily available and will no longer be provided in future. AviationThe costs of travelling domestically by air are based on fare data taken from the Civil Aviation Authority passenger survey. The Retail Price Index (RPI), taken from the Office for National Statistics, has been used to adjust for the real term change in the costs. As no separate RPI index is available for domestic air fares, the overall index for transport components has been used. This index is available from Table TSGB1308 in the Transport Statistics Great Britain Compendium at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/transport-expenditure-tsgb13

Driving: Qualifications

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 269094 on Driving: Qualifications, when the EU contingency Regulation (Regulation 2019/501) expires.

Chris Grayling: The provisions of Regulation 2019/501 enable UK commercial drivers to drive for UK operators on all journeys permitted under it using a UK Driver CPC. As it stands, the Regulation would come into effect were the UK to leave the EU without a deal and would last until 31 December 2019. The Department is, of course, mindful that this would only provide two months of transitional market access rights for UK operators, which would be contrary to the collective intention in agreeing the measure in the first place. The Department will work with the European Commission and Member States as regards to options for addressing this, such as an extension of the measure.

Office of Rail and Road

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Office for Rail and Road on the development of that organisation’s (a) service standards and (b) strategic objectives in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019.

Andrew Jones: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is independent of Government. It is for the Board of the ORR to determine the organisation’s service standards and strategic objectives. These are set out in its annual business plan, which ORR develops after seeking the views of the Department for Transport and other stakeholders. Business plans for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 are published on the ORR’s website at:https://orr.gov.uk/about-orr/corporate-data/corporate-publications. The Secretary of State issues statutory general guidance to the ORR in respect of the exercise of its functions as the independent economic and safety regulator for the railways under the Railways Acts of 1993 and 2005. The guidance was most recently updated in 2017 and was developed after discussion with the ORR. It is published on the Department’s website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/railways-guidance-to-the-office-of-rail-and-road.

Railways: Passengers

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of organisations working to protect the interests of consumers throughout the rail industry.

Andrew Jones: The role of consumer protection in the rail sector, including the functions of the organisations working in that sphere, is part of the Williams Rail Review of the structure of the rail industry and the way passenger rail services are delivered which will report in the autumn.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to implement EU Directive 2014/45 to exempt classic cars over 30 years old from periodic roadworthiness testing.

Michael Ellis: The Government has already fully implemented EU Directive 2014/45. This Directive enables Member States to exempt vehicles manufactured or registered for the first time at least 30 years ago from periodic roadworthiness testing. The Government’s consultation response, published in September 2017, set out the decision to exempt most vehicles over 40 years old from testing, except for those which have been substantially changed. The Government has no plans to revisit this 40 year threshold.

Rolling Stock

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many pacer trains are serving stations in (a) Leeds, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK.

Andrew Jones: There is a total of 42 Pacer trains operating in Yorkshire and Humber from Monday to Friday, and 27 of these serve Leeds. In the UK there are 140 Pacer Trains in service with three train operators which are Arriva Rail North Limited, Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales Rail Services.

Rolling Stock

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which rail operators are running pacer trains on their service.

Andrew Jones: Arriva Rail North, Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales Rail Services are operators of Pacer trains.

Rolling Stock

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many pacer trains will be taken out of service by 1 January 2020.

Andrew Jones: The first Pacers are due to be withdrawn from service in August and operators are working to remove all of them by the end of the year. People across the north are starting to see the first of the new trains operating on the Northern network.

Rolling Stock

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what sanctions will be taken against franchise holders who fail to remove all pacer trains from their rolling stock by 1 January 2020.

Andrew Jones: We are closely monitoring industry progress on this issue and would deal with any failure to deliver contractual obligations according the normal processes under the terms of that Franchise Agreement. Note that Transport for Wales are responsible for the management of their operator, Transport for Wales Rail Services. Wherever Pacers are phased out, they will make way for new or fully-refurbished trains that will transform the journey experience for passengers.

Railways: Nature Conservation

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail on their progress in implementing the recommendations of the John Varley Vegetation Management Review.

Andrew Jones: Officials from my Department and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs have held a number of meetings with Network Rail to discuss implementation of the recommendations of John Varley’s Vegetation Management Review. John Varley is due to report to me shortly on the progress made so far by my Department and Network Rail in implementing his recommendations.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Overseas Visitors: Visas

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of facilitating visa applications by human rights defenders to allow them to travel more easily to the UK.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Human rights defenders wishing to travel to the UK are able to do so, provided that they comply with existing immigration rules, which in some cases will mean applying for a visa. However, there is no provision in the Immigration Rules to allow someone to travel to the UK for temporary protection, or to claim asylum. Those human rights defenders who may need to travel outside their home country in emergency situations are advised to go to the first country of safety they can reach, which is often a neighbouring country.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We are concerned by the risk of unintended escalation between the United States and Iran. We are also concerned by the potential of further tension as a result of the International Atomic Energy Agency''s confirmation on 1 July that Iran has broken the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) stockpile limit for Low Enriched Uranium. We are considering with our partners the options available to us under the terms of the JCPoA to keep the nuclear deal in place. We continue to call on the US to preserve the gains that the Iran nuclear deal has brought, avoiding actions that would prevent the remaining parties from meeting their commitments to uphold the deal. We believe maintaining the nuclear deal is in the best interests of Iran, the region and the UK.

Sudan: Human Rights

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the maintenance of human rights in Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK is very concerned by the human rights situation in Sudan, which is identified as a priority country in the UK's Annual Human Rights Report. Our Embassy in Khartoum closely monitors the human rights situation in Sudan, and raises our concerns at every opportunity. It also administers programmes which promote long-term stability in conflict affected areas, support marginalised groups (including women's organisations) and provide assistance for reconciliation within communities. The UK's public statements emphasise the importance of human rights, protection of civilians, and justice and accountability for atrocities committed by both the former regime and by the current authorities during recent events. We also discuss these concerns with partners in Africa, the Gulf and elsewhere and have delivered these messages in multilateral fora such as the UN, and the EU Foreign Affairs Council. On 29 June, the UK, alongside our Troika partners the US and Norway, issued a joint statement that called on the Transitional Military Council to respect the rights of the people of Sudan to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, permit peaceful protests, and avoid any use of violence. We welcome the African Union's leadership on the political and human rights situation, reflected in its suspension of Sudan as well as its commitment to a Commission of Inquiry into the events of 3 June. We are also working with partners to ensure the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is focused on Sudan. We welcome the ongoing engagement of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and urge the Sudanese authorities to work with the OHCHR to enable the speedy establishment of a Sudan country office to carry out their HRC-mandated work.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with UN Security Council members to ensure that the Stockholm agreement is implemented in Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We have welcomed UN verification that Houthi forces have begun their withdrawal from the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Issa. This was the first such withdrawal by the Houthis since the conflict began in 2014.The UK encourages both parties to continue to constructively engage with the Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and General Lollesgaard. We will continue discussions with partners on how the UN Security Council can support the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths on the political process and improving the humanitarian situation, central to which is the implementation of agreements reached during the Stockholm talks.

Venezuela: Diplomatic Relations

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has taken steps to install the Official Representative of interim President Juan Guaidó in the Venezuelan embassy in London; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​We have welcomed Vanessa Neumann as the Official Representative of Juan Guaido in the UK. Although the UK has recognised Juan Guaido as constitutional interim President of Venezuela, we continue to engage with the institutions of the state, including the accredited Venezuelan Ambassador in London, at official level on routine business.

Venezuela: Refugees

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international partners on migrant boats capsizing off the coast of Venezuela.

Sir Alan Duncan: While we regularly discuss with partners the huge impact of migrants fleeing the Venezuelan crisis, we have had no recent discussions with international partners on migrant boats capsizing off the coast of Venezuela

Venezuela: Economic Situation

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,  what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the economic crisis in Venezuela on the (a) political and (b) economic situation in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Venezuelan economy is in a desperate state. The IMF is forecasting inflation in Venezuela to reach 10 million per cent for 2019 and the Venezuelan Central Bank has reported a drop of over 55 per cent in GDP since 2013. This is a man-made disaster caused by the Maduro regime's economic mismanagement. It has resulted in a political, economic and humanitarian crisis forcing more than 4 million Venezuelans to leave.

Abdullah Öcalan

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2019 to Question 248721, whether he has had meetings with the Turkish Government since 2 May 2019 to raise the issue of Abdullah Öcalan's access to lawyers and family visits; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The UK Government has raised Mr Öcalan’s case with the Turkish authorities a number of times. I raised the issue with the Turkish Ambassador on 13 May. I welcome the fact that Mr Öcalan has since been granted access to lawyers on at least two separate occasions and that the hunger strikes undertaken by some of his supporters have now come to an end. I also note that the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture paid a further visit to Imrali prison in mid-May, and that the Turkish Minister of Justice recently lifted the court restriction on lawyers' visits there. Whilst I welcome these positive developments, it is important to reiterate that Mr Öcalan remains in our view a convicted terrorist and we condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by the Kurdish Workers’ Party as we condemn all forms of terrorism.

Burundi: Press Freedom

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the restrictions on the independent media in Burundi.

Harriett Baldwin: ​We are very concerned by restrictions on the media in Burundi. Freedom of the media is essential in any functioning democracy; people must be allowed to debate issues freely, to challenge their governments, and to be informed by a strong and robust media. We condemn the decision made by the Government of Burundi to revoke the BBC's operating license, suspend the Voice of America, and the recent decisions to restrict the reporting activities of local media. These decisions are particularly concerning in light of the 2020 elections for which a free and independent media is vital.

China: Religious Freedom

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Government of the People's Republic of China on the treatment of (a) Christian and (b) Muslim minority communities in that country.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians, Muslims and others on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. Accordingly, at the 40th UN Human Rights Council in March 2019, during his opening address on 25 February, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad raised concerns about restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in China including on Muslims in Xinjiang and Christians across China. We also co-sponsored a side event on “Protecting the fundamental freedoms in Xinjiang” in March 2019, which helped to raise awareness of the situation among the international community. Lord Ahmad also set out the Government’s position when answering an Oral Question in the House of Lords on 4 April 2019. Further, we raised our concerns on freedom of religion and belief during China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018. Ministers and senior officials frequently raise human rights issues bilaterally with their Chinese counterparts. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our concerns on Xinjiang with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his most recent visit to China in July 2018. Our Embassy in Beijing regularly raises the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and concerns about the pressures facing Christians directly with Chinese officials.

Israel: Refugees

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on recognition of the plight of Jewish refugees from the Middle East and North Africa.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​I am yet to discuss this matter with my Israeli counterpart. The history of Jewish migration and displacement in the region is highly complex and cannot be ignored. We acknowledge that the Jewish community has experienced unacceptable suffering. We continue to support the aspiration for a Jewish homeland in the modern state of Israel, just as we support the objective of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. A peaceful future for the Middle East depends on a peace agreement that offers fair restitution for both sides, and a willingness on the part of all countries in the region to respect the rights of minorities and build inclusive societies which enshrine and uphold those rights.

Nigeria: Oil

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Nigerian Government on progress towards cleaning up oil pollution in the Niger Delta.

Harriett Baldwin: We are concerned that work on the Ogoniland clean-up has not started, but note that the contracts for clean-up have been awarded. In our regular engagement with all levels of Federal and State Government in Nigeria, and with executive bodies, we have encouraged the clean-up of Ogoniland to start in line with the 2011 United Nations Environmental Programme report. The British Government will continue to encourage the process to be transparent and open, and engage all partners to play their part in the clean-up of all areas affected by oil pollution.

Department for International Development

East Africa: Droughts

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian effect of the drought in (a) Somalia, (b) Ethiopia and (c) the rest of the East and Horn of Africa; and what steps he is taking to support people at risk of food insecurity.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID is concerned by the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the east and Horn of Africa. This is a result of poor rainfall across much of the region and political instability and insecurity, including in Sudan and South Sudan. In Somalia, drought and subsequent widespread crop failure and decline in livestock productivity has resulted in a projected increase in people experiencing acute food insecurity, from 1.7 million to 2.2 million by August 2019. DFID has recently allocated £8 million to support both emergency, life-saving interventions, and longer-term resilience actions focusing on sustainable water supply and the protection of livelihoods. This brings our total humanitarian spend in Somalia in 2019 to £40 million. In Ethiopia, the humanitarian situation remains challenging. The 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) seeks US$1.314 billion to reach 8.3 million people with emergency food and non-food assistance. DFID has currently allocated £30 million to meet emergency food and non-food needs. The Department supports the Government of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) that reaches 8 million chronically food insecure people in drought affected regions with conditional cash transfers. DFID plans to contribute £16.7 million to the PSNP this year. DFID will continue to monitor the situation and press the international community to commit further support where it is needed. DFID will also continue to support communities and states in the east and Horn of Africa to build resilience to crises and shocks. Our work on humanitarian early warning systems raises awareness of crises where food security is deteriorating, and we prioritise longer-term responses to support food security, including through agricultural programmes.

Horn of Africa: Food

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the potential level of deterioration in food security throughout the greater Horn of Africa during September 2019; and what steps he is taking to ensure the urgent increase in activity to tackle the predicted large-scale emergency assistance needs.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID is concerned by deteriorating levels of food security in the Horn of Africa. This is a result of poor rainfall across much of the region and political instability and insecurity, including in Sudan and South Sudan. The UK is a world leader in supporting those at risk of food insecurity, and has taken early action across the region to save lives. This includes £8 million of additional support in Somalia to support emergency interventions and resilience. In Ethiopia, DFID supports the Government of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) that reaches 8 million chronically food insecure people in drought affected regions with conditional cash transfers. DFID plans to contribute £16.7 million to the PSNP this year. In Sudan, the UK has already contributed £30 million this fiscal year to humanitarian interventions. DFID will continue to monitor the situation closely and press the international community to commit further support where it is needed. DFID will continue to support communities and states in the Horn to build resilience to crises and shocks. Our work on humanitarian early warning systems raises awareness of crises where food security is deteriorating, and we prioritise longer-term responses to support food security, including through agricultural programmes.

Zambia: Famine

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to provide additional aid to alleviate the impending famine in Zambia.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID is following the impact of the drought in Western and Southern Zambia very closely and has visited affected areas to discuss the response with local authorities. The Government of Zambia has not yet declared an emergency but estimates that 1.5 million people will need emergency assistance over the next nine months. We are in contact with the Government’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit and with the World Food Programme about how best to distribute food supplies in the event that the Government requests support. We are exploring with the UN the feasibility of emergency cash transfers and responding to a likely increase in acute malnutrition cases. DFID is also a key donor of the START fund, which funds non-governmental organisations responding to localised emergencies.

Zambia: Cereals

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to support the Zambian Government to ensure that farmers are able to purchase sufficient grain from Government food agencies.

Harriett Baldwin: Maize production has dropped by over 50% in Western and Southern Zambia this year as a result of drought, showing just how vulnerable Zambian farmers are to climatic shocks. Through its Climate Smart Agriculture programme, DFID is supporting over 260,000 small-scale farmers to protect yields better from the impact of climate change. DFID is also supporting engagement between Zambian civil society organisations, the Zambian Government and the Food Reserve Agency on agricultural policy and on the implementation of the Government of Zambia’s agricultural e-voucher reform programme, which has great potential to help smallholder farmers source inputs in a more timely fashion and promote agricultural diversification.

Farmers: Equal Pay

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that its policies and funding support equal pay for female and male farmers.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID’s 2017 Economic Development Strategy commits to tackling gender discrimination and to delivering safer, more secure and higher-return work for women, building on the 2015 UK commitment made through our G7 membership to include gender objectives in at least 50% of agriculture and food security programmes. A 2018 review of DFID’s commercial agriculture programmes found that 31 of DFID’s 65 commercial agriculture programmes aimed to increase the returns received by women working in agriculture. The Department also assists the development of standards that help smallholder farmers reach a decent standard of living: for example, by providing £3.7 million in assistance to the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL Alliance) which supports systems such as Fairtrade. DFID is also a founding member of the Living Income Community of Practice. DFID’s 2019 review of commercial agriculture programmes finds that since 2007, 22 million smallholders have benefitted from DFIDs current commercial agriculture programming (3.4 million of them women) with 4.7 million of these (1.1 million women) having benefited financially.

Third Sector

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen global civil society throughout the world.

Harriett Baldwin: In financial year 2016-17, DFID spent £1.3 billion funding the work of civil society. DFID provides assistance to strengthen civil society in the UK and overseas through capacity building support and funding opportunities. This assistance is delivered through our centrally-managed programmes and our country programmes. Since 2016 we have provided funding through our centrally-managed programmes to more than 200 civil society organisations (CSOs) of diverse sizes and policy areas, delivering projects across at least 35 countries. DFID is acting to increase support to CSOs based in developing countries, including through broadening out some of our centrally-managed programmes to accept bids from Southern-based CSOs. Through UK Aid Connect we are funding programmes specifically targeted at enhancing civil society effectiveness in the UK and overseas.

Africa: Rural Areas

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to increase coordination of its work with charities operating in rural Africa.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID continually evaluates the effectiveness and impact of the important development work delivered by the charities it funds in Africa. Lessons learnt are shared widely and integrated to improve programme delivery.

Department for International Development: Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make it his Department's policy to sign up to the UK Steel Charter.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID provides technical assistance and commodities to meet humanitarian needs or extend basic services in developing countries. All DFID contracts are tendered in accordance with the EU Public Procurement Directive and the UK Public Procurement Regulations 2015, the focus of which is to ensure open and fair competition between bidders. This means our contracts are competitively tendered following a set of standard processes set out in the regulations These regulations establish what we can do as a public sector organisation and our processes also ensure that our due diligence of suppliers is comprehensive and rigorous. This competitive approach helps ensure value for money in the delivery of UK aid. British companies have continued to be very successful in this competitive market with UK firms winning 80% of our contracts in 2018/19.

Department for International Development: Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK Steel Charter.

Harriett Baldwin: We have discussed the procurement of steel with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which has asked all Government departments to consider guidance on steel procurement and to notify of any upcoming opportunities for industry. More broadly, the Government is committed to supporting the steel sector to realise the broader commercial opportunities that are open to it, which could be worth an additional £3.8 billion a year by 2030. We are establishing the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – backed by up to £315m of investment – to help businesses with high energy use (including steel companies) to cut their bills and transition UK industry to a low carbon future. We are also providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies.

Plastics: Recycling and Waste

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to support (a) the removal of plastic waste and (b) increase plastic recycling internationally.

Harriett Baldwin: The Department for International Development is supporting developing countries address problems around marine litter and has committed £39 million over the last year to tackle the problem of plastic pollution. We are supporting governments to consider what practical steps they can take to reduce the pollution of our oceans, such as restricting the use of plastic bags. We are starting to work with businesses and NGOs in Africa and Asia to trial new approaches to increase plastic recycling rates, thereby helping the environment while creating new jobs. This includes our work in Bangladesh where we will work with industry to increase the quality and volume of local plastic recycled and the percentage of locally recycled plastic used, particularly in garment manufacturing. Through UK Aid Match, we are supporting the Tearfund plastics appeal (up to £3m) to set up recycling hubs across Pakistan. We are also investing in research to find ways in which manufacturing processes can help reduce plastic pollution. In addition, the UK provides considerable funding to multilateral organisations who are working with countries to tackle this problem, including some major investments in waste management services.

Bangladesh: Plastics

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects his Department supports in Bangladesh that remove plastic waste from (a) rivers and (b) the sea.

Harriett Baldwin: The Department for International Development is committed to helping developing countries tackle the problem of marine plastic pollution. We developed the Tackling Waste and Plastic Pollution programme as part of wider UK Government efforts to address this. The programme provides up to £13 million, plus technical assistance and practical support to a number of Commonwealth countries to improve waste management, and to reduce marine plastic pollution. Bangladesh is one of the beneficiary countries. A pilot project is now being developed in Dhaka to understand what works to reduce and manage plastic waste in low income city contexts, including reducing the impact on rivers and oceans.

Developing Countries: Transport

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to tackle the transport needs of the global south to enable marginalised groups to engage in (a) education, (b) work, (c) healthcare, (d) leisure and (e) other life-supporting activities.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID’s transport projects are developing rural road networks and better transport services, such as affordable and accessible buses, to provide remote poor communities with access to services and better opportunities for trading.For example, in Pakistan we are investing in highways that link more deprived areas to wealthier provinces; and in rural Nepal we have improved road access for isolated rural communities to schools, markets, and hospitals, reaching over two million people. We are also funding a £28m research programme to identify more cost-effective ways of improving transport connections for remote rural communities in Africa and Asia. This programme has developed new road standards and technical manuals which have been used on over 280,000km of rural roads.

Syria: Bombings

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to help protect children from the consequences of the bombing in Idlib, Syria.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Government is immensely concerned about the plight of all civilians, particularly children, affected by the current conflict in Idlib and surrounding areas. Last year DFID provided over £80m humanitarian assistance to Northwest Syria. Our UN and NGO partners are working to meet growing needs among displaced people in the region, including the estimated 100,000 children displaced since 1 May, through the distribution of food, shelter and other essential items. We are also providing education and safe spaces for children. Whilst this work has been impacted by the recent conflict in the region and the senseless attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, to date our partners are continuing to be able to work effectively in the region to help those most in need. In addition to humanitarian assistance, we continue to use our position on the UN Security Council to call out the regime and Russia for their attacks on schools and hospitals, breaching international law and needlessly impacting civilians.

Uganda: Refugees

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department provides to the Ugandan Government to help with refugees in that country.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK is the second largest bilateral donor responding to the refugee situation in Uganda, through UN agencies and international NGOs, and in coordination with the Government of Uganda. Between March 2015 and April 2019 UKAid provided extensive support that has enabled the delivery of a range of life-saving assistance and protection services. These include providing 1.2 million people with food assistance, 130,000 people with access to clean water, and 342,000 women and children with nutritional support. We have also led efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola into refugee settlements in Uganda. The UK’s response in Uganda will continue to protect people in crisis and invest in long-term livelihood and self-reliance options. It will capitalise on the fact that Uganda’s refugee policy, which allows freedom of movement and the right to work, means that it is well placed to deliver commitments made at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit under the Grand Bargain and is a pilot country for implementing the 2018 Global Refugee Compact.

Nairobi: Demonstrations

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made the accuracy of reports of Kenyan authorities teargassing and attacking peaceful demonstrators in Nairobi on 19 June.

Harriett Baldwin: We are aware that a demonstration in central Nairobi was dispersed by police on 19th June in Nairobi using tear gas. We have not had reports of protesters being attacked. We continue to support the Government of Kenya and civil society to improve police professionalism and accountability, such as through supporting independent police oversight institutions. In 2018 we assisted the Inspector General of Police to re-structure the National Police Service to make it more integrated, efficient and accountable. The UK-Kenya partnership is documented in the Renewed Security Compact, signed during the Prime Minister’s visit to Kenya in August 2018.

Department for International Development: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether his Department offers employees a payroll deduction service to enable staff to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: There is no facility for making deposits to credit unions through payroll deductions.

Department for International Development: Brexit

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK Government has been working directly with the Welsh Government and the other devolved administrations at Ministerial and official level to minimise any disruption in the event of no deal. However, international development is not a matter of devolved administrations and therefore DFID Ministers have not engaged with the Welsh Government on no deal preparations.

Palestinians: Schools

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2019 to Question 220733, whether the independent review of Palestinian Authority textbooks will be published by September 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Given the seriousness with which the UK takes the allegations of incitement in the Palestinian pilot curriculum and textbooks we have taken the time needed to make sure that the independent review delivered will be rigorous, credible and can form the basis for discussions with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on this important issue. Securing the backing of the wider international community is central to this. We are pleased that after calls by the UK government for international action the European Union (EU) agreed to lead and co-fund the independent review. DFID has pressed hard to expedite this and had hope to make findings available to Parliament by September 2019, including by commissioning an inception report to form the basis of the independent review. The EU are currently in contracting negotiations with a potential service partner. Following this negotiation DFID will provide an update to Parliamentarians on the timetable for the report. We recognise that publishing findings by September is now very unlikely, although we anticipate only a short delay. In the interim, we are continuing to raise our concerns about incitement in education, which I did personally at a meeting with the Palestinian Authority Education Minister in Ramallah in May 2019.

Palestinians: Schools

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the independent evaluation of the Palestinian Authority curriculum commissioned by the Palestinian Authority in 2018 and due in March 2019 has been completed.

Dr Andrew Murrison: DFID can confirm that the Palestinian Authority (PA) commissioned an independent evaluation of their pilot curriculum, and that this evaluation was completed in March 2019.

Department for Education

Carers: Young People

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities fulfil their statutory duties under section 63 of the Care Act 2014 to provide transition assessments for young carers.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government remains committed to continuing to support all carers to provide care as they would wish in a way that supports their own health, wellbeing and life chances. In June 2018, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published the Carers Action Plan, a cross-government programme of targeted work to support all carers, including young carers. DHSC has been working with The Children’s Society to identify and publicise effective practices to local authorities to support young adult carers to make positives transitions between the ages of 16-24. To this end, ‘Shaping our Future: Improving Assessment and Support for Young Carers’ Transition to Adulthood’ was published in June 2019. Further to the reply to PQ 237696, the government is clear that the Care Act (2014) does place duties on local authorities to undertake transition assessments, and that Care and Support Statutory Guidance sets out how these duties should be met.

Graduates: Average Earnings

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring universities publish potential earnings returns for all degree courses.

Chris Skidmore: Students’ ability to make informed choices is at the heart of the higher education reform agenda. The government is taking steps to improve the quality of information provided to students and how it is presented. We want to equip prospective students with the information to make the right choice for them about where and what to study. The value of higher education is about more than just economic returns. It provides wider benefits such as employability, social impact and important cultural value, which enriches our society. However, data shows that there are disparities between the outcomes seen from the same subject at different institutions, highlighting universities that need to improve and maximise the potential of their courses. The Unistats website is an official site that allows prospective students to search for and compare data and information on university and college courses across the UK, and it is available at: https://unistats.ac.uk/. It is owned and operated by The Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, The Office for Students, The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and The Scottish Funding Council and contains subject and course level data for each higher education provider. The information currently available includes average earnings 6 months after graduation, which has been taken from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, and average earnings 3 years after graduation which has been calculated from the Department for Education’s Longitudinal Education outcomes dataset. We expect that the Office for Students will launch a new information resource tool to replace Unistats in autumn 2019.

Students: Housing

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of university accommodation for students.

Chris Skidmore: Higher education providers are autonomous bodies, independent from the government; the government plays no direct role in the provision of student residential accommodation. This government increased living costs support by 10.3% for eligible students on the lowest incomes in 2016/17. Further inflationary increases in living costs support have been made in each academic year since. We have announced a further 2.8% increase in loans for living costs for the 2019/20 academic year – to a record amount. Students from the lowest-income households starting their courses in the academic year 2018/19 had access to the largest ever amounts of cash-in-hand support for their living costs. The independent panel supporting the Post-18 Review of Education and Funding published their report on 30 May where they recommended the Office for Students examines the costs of student accommodation and works with students and providers to improve the quality and consistency of data about costs, rents, profits and quality. The government has not yet taken decisions on these recommendations but will consider the panel’s proposals and conclude the review at the Spending Review.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding (a) academies and (b) non-academy schools have received from the soft drinks industry levy.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Budget 2016 announced funding for a number of programmes linked to the revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL). The Department for Education will receive £575 million during the current Spending Review period.The funding has been used for the following projects:Healthy Pupils Capital Fund (HPCF) - £100 million of revenue generated from the SDIL is being used for the HPCF. HPCF allocations for each local authority and multi-academy trust, who were eligible to receive a direct allocation, were published in March 2018 and are available at the following link: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20190212204720/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations. Details of successful HPCF projects funded through the Condition Improvement Fund have been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2018-to-2019-outcome.Primary PE and Sport Premium - In September 2017, we announced that we had doubled the funding for the Primary PE and Sport Premium, with SDIL revenue contributing an additional £160 million a year to funding from the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care. School-level allocations are available on gov.uk at: https://skillsfunding.service.gov.uk/pe-sport-premium/2018-2019/search-premium-allocation.Essential Life Skills (ELS) - We have invested £22 million in an ELS programme to enable disadvantaged children and young people living in some of the most deprived parts of the country to participate in regular extra-curricular activities. The ELS programme is targeting disadvantaged children and young people aged 5-18 across 12 Opportunity Areas (OAs). We have distributed funding of £7.95 million in 2017-18 and £13.8 million in 2018-19 to the 12 OAs to deliver ELS activities. We do not have funding data broken down by academies and non-academies.National Schools Breakfast Programme (NSBP) - We are investing up to £26 million into the NSBP. This money will kick start or improve breakfast clubs in over 1,700 academies and non-academies. The focus of these clubs has been to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country (including the Department for Education’s OAs) to help make sure every child gets the best start in life. Information from the programme is still being collected and data on funding at local authority level is not available at this stage.

Schools: Social Workers

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of social workers in schools with a high volume of cases requiring social worker support.

Nadhim Zahawi: Local authority social workers provide statutory support for children in need of help and protection. The department does not hold data on the proportion of the 29,470 full-time equivalent local authority social workers in England who are working in schools as most social workers will hold cases for children who are attending several different schools. Where additional support is provided within school, it is for headteachers to decide how to spend their budget to best meet the needs of their pupils; some choose to employ trained social workers as part of their pastoral support provision.Analysis from the June 2019 Children in Need review shows that of all state schools in England in 2017-18: only 2% of schools (499) do not have a single pupil to have been in need of a social worker since 2012-13; in almost a third of schools these children make up between 5-10% of the pupil population; in 12% of schools, over 20% of the pupil population were at some point in need of a social worker.As part of a What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care (WWC) Change Programme focussed on moving services closer to children and families, £2.4 million funding was made available in 2019-20 for local authorities and children’s services trusts to test social workers being based in schools. The WWC is working with 3 local authorities -- Lambeth, Southampton and Stockport -- to set up and evaluate new ways of working in which social workers work in schools to prevent harm to children and deal more effectively with harm where it occurs. The evaluation of the programme will begin in Spring 2019 and run until March 2020, when a final report will be published.In addition, 2 Opportunity Areas - Stoke and Hastings - are testing the effectiveness of models which embed social workers in schools. In the recently published ‘Help, Protection, Education: concluding the Children in Need review’, the department committed to learn from and consider how to build on the evidence from these trials.

Education: Hearing Impairment

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support deaf children’s education in the upcoming Spending Review.

Nadhim Zahawi: Our ambition for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including hearing impairments, is exactly the same as for every other child and young person, to achieve well in school and college, find employment and go on to live happy and fulfilled lives. Over 90% of children identified with hearing impairment as their primary type of need are in mainstream schools. Overall school funding is over £43.5 billion this year. This includes £6.3 billion of high needs funding for children and young people with the most complex SEND, up from £5 billion in 2013. However, we are well aware that local authorities and schools are facing challenges in managing their budgets in the context of increasing costs and rising levels of demand. We are looking carefully at how much funding for education will be needed in future years, as we approach the next Spending Review.

Wakefield City Academies Trust: Deloitte and Touche

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2019 to Question 262315 and to the Answer on 1 July 2019 to Question 269696 on Wakefield City Academies Trust: Deloitte and Touche, how much Wakefield City Academies Trust spent on services provided by Deloitte from 1 June 2019 to 30 June 2019.

Nadhim Zahawi: Wakefield City Academies Trust has not paid Deloitte for services in the period 1 June 2019 to 30 June 2019.

Special Educational Needs

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent trends in real term funding for education on the ability of schools to provide high quality SEND support.

Nadhim Zahawi: We are investing £43.5 billion into schools this year, and are committed to maintaining real terms per pupil funding in our schools. This includes £6.3 billion in high needs funding this year for children and young people with the most complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), up from £5 billion in 2013, and includes an additional £250 million, across 2018-19 and 2019-20, what was announced in December 2018. Institute for Fiscal Studies figures show that real terms per pupil funding for 5 to 16 year olds in 2020 will be more than 50% higher than it was in 2000 and more than 70% higher than in 1990. However, we are aware that schools and local authorities are facing challenges in managing their budgets in the context of increasing costs and rising levels of demand for SEND support. We are also continuing to engage with schools and colleges, local authorities, health providers and families, to build a shared understanding of what is driving cost pressures, and to work with the sector to help manage them. We are looking carefully at how much funding for education will be needed in future years, as we approach the next Spending Review.

Special Educational Needs

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the academisation of schools on the ability of schools to deliver high-quality SEND provision.

Nadhim Zahawi: The provisions of the Children and Families Act (2014), together with the associated statutory regulations and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice, apply to academies and free schools as well as to schools maintained by local authorities. All schools are required to use their best endeavours to identify and address the special educational needs of pupils and to apply the ‘graduated approach’ to support, which is outlined in Chapter 6 of the SEND Code of Practice, which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25. Academies and free schools are inspected by Ofsted under the same framework as local authority maintained schools. The quality of education and support for pupils with SEND is taken into account by inspectors when making a judgement on the performance of a school.The new Ofsted common inspection framework for education settings, which will be in force from September 2019, places more emphasis on the quality of SEND provision through the ‘quality of education’ judgement, with a clear focus on curriculum. Academies are under a duty through the Children and Families Act (2014) to co-operate with the local authority on their SEND provision. Where maintained schools and academies are acting unreasonably or unlawfully, the department has the power to direct them to put matters right, if it would be expedient to do so. The Department of Education and the Education and Skills Funding Agency have a direct role here to investigate complaints.

Swimming: Primary Education

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of primary school aged children had swimming lessons provided through school in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent from the public purse on swimming lessons for primary school students in each of the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information requested is not held centrally.Swimming and water safety are compulsory elements of the PE national curriculum at key stages 1 and 2. Schools receive general funding for all curriculum provision, including Physical Education (and by extension swimming and water safety lessons). This funding is not ring-fenced or split by subject and schools have the flexibility to allocate their funding to deliver a diverse curriculum which best suits the needs of all their pupils.Schools can also choose to use their share of the £320 million Primary PE and Sport Premium to support swimming and water safety. The premium can be used to fund the professional development and training available to schools to train staff to support high quality swimming and water safety lessons for their pupils.The premium can also be used to provide additional top-up swimming lessons to pupils who have not been able to meet the national curriculum requirements for swimming and water safety following the delivery of core swimming and water safety lessons.The department does not collect data on the proportion of primary school children who have received swimming and water safety lessons. However all schools are required to publish information on the percentage of their pupils in year 6 who have met each of the 3 swimming and water safety national curriculum requirements.

Children in Care: Missing People

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2019 to Question 268391, if he will make an estimate of the number of looked-after children placed (a) inside and (b) outside the borough that were reported (i) missing and (ii) away without authorisation in each local authority area in each year since 2015.

Nadhim Zahawi: The attached table shows the number of looked-after children in children’s homes who were missing or away without authorisation status, and by placement location, from 2015 to 2018, for each local authority. The figures presented in the table are higher than those presented in response to PQ 268391, as a child may have an incident that is ‘missing’ and an incident that is classified as ‘away without authorisation’ in their care history. These incidents may also vary by placement location over the same period. A child will be counted once for each variation of incident that is recorded.The latest figures nationally on children looked after who go missing and the number of incidents are published in table G1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’, which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.All figures on the overall number of children who were looked after during the year, who were missing or away from placement without authorisation, are still classified as experimental statistics. This is the fourth year these statistics have been collected in this way, and local authorities have reported some variation over recent years in how these incidents are recorded.As experimental statistics, figures are not comparable across years. Local authority comparisons should be treated with the same degree of caution and firm conclusions cannot be drawn about local practice. Some authorities have informed the department that they do not record any incidents as ‘away without authorisation’ but instead report all incidents as ‘missing information’. We estimate that around 1 in 3 local authorities record this data in this way. We will continue to assess whether the figures are considered robust enough to be classed as national statistics, rather than experimental.



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Pupils: Sanitary Protection

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2019 to Question 269008 on Pupils: Sanitary Protection, what criteria his Department uses to assess the environmental friendliness of those products.

Nadhim Zahawi: As noted in the answer to question 269008, the Invitation to Tender for the Period Products scheme in England has set out that environmentally friendly sanitary pads should be provided as a minimum and that the provision of further sustainable products is encouraged.When determining whether period products are environmentally friendly, consideration will be given to the extent to which the materials used in the products are sustainable, whether the products are biodegradable and whether the products are reusable.

Apprentices: Taxation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the value of apprenticeship levy funds expiring from employers' accounts was in June 2019; and what plans the Government has for those funds.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish a response to the petition entitled, Give schools the money they need, that was presented to the House on 5 June 2019.

Nick Gibb: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will publish a response to the petition entitled, ‘Give schools the money they need’, which was presented to the House on 5 June 2019.As per the recommendation in the ‘Procedure Committee’s First Report on Public Petitions and Early Day Motions’, July 2007, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, intends to reply within two months of the petition’s presentation.

Educational Exchanges

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage secondary schools and their pupils to take part in student exchange programmes with schools in other countries.

Nick Gibb: In January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a new £2.5 million programme to provide more opportunities for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to take part in an international school exchange.State schools in England can apply for grants to take pupils aged 11 and above to visit partner schools around the world, giving them the chance to experience different cultures, improve language skills and build independence, character and resilience.​Some of the first exchanges have already taken place, to destinations including Toulon in France, and Heinsberg in Germany. More information about the programme is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/25-million-to-boost-international-exchanges-for-schools.

Schools: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2019 to Question 270440 on Schools: Fire Regulations, if he will estimate the number of schools that have combustible timber cladding.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: Food

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce food waste in schools.

Nadhim Zahawi: This government is committed to tackling waste. The Waste Strategy, published in December 2018, sets out a new approach to address food waste from farm to fork which includes tackling food waste in schools.Schools are responsible for their day-to-day running including their school meals service. We expect schools to work closely with their caterer(s) to make sure that all pupils can choose a healthy and balanced meal, with as little waste as possible.

Child Benefit

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the policy on stopping child benefit for families whose children start apprenticeships on social mobility.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the policy on stopping child benefit for families whose children start apprenticeships on access to and take up of apprenticeships.

Anne Milton: The underlying principle of an apprenticeship is that it is a paid job, and the benefits system treats an apprenticeship in the same way as any other job. Apprentices are employed and do not have to contribute to the costs of their learning, and acquire skills much valued in the labour market. Apprentices on low incomes may be able to claim Universal Credit or tax credits to help with living costs.As paid employment and a foundation for a successful career, an apprenticeship sets young people up on the path to financial independence. On average, a level 2 apprenticeship boosts your earnings by 11% and a level 3 apprenticeship by 16%.

Higher Education: Antisemitism

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and which higher education institutions have adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sanitary Protection: Further Education and Secondary Education

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the Government's plans to provide free sanitary products in secondary schools and colleges from September 2019.

Nadhim Zahawi: No-one should be held back from reaching their potential because of their gender or background. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Spring Statement on 13 March 2019 that the Department for Education will lead a scheme to provide access to free sanitary products in all secondary schools and colleges across England. On 16 April 2019, I announced that funding would be extended to cover need in primary schools and that national roll-out would take place in early 2020.The department published an Invitation to Tender for the Period Products scheme on 15 June 2019, and we intend to award this contract in Autumn 2019. We are also working with stakeholders to develop guidance that will support institutions in embedding this scheme.

Church Commissioners

Churches: Theft

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will make an estimate of the number of thefts of lead from church buildings in (a) the diocese of St Albans and (b) England in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2019 to date.

Dame Caroline Spelman: Holding answer received on 01 July 2019



The National Church Institutions do not hold information centrally about the theft of metal from Church of England churches, but records are kept at a diocesan level. Anecdotal evidence points to an increase in instances of metal theft from churches nationwide, with East Anglia and the Midlands being most affected.Home Office Counting Rules do not require the police to record if a theft is from a listed building. The Church of England welcomes the July 2019 Sentencing Council proposals to introduce new sentencing guidelines for arson, criminal damage and vandalism of national heritage assets, including listed buildings, historic objects or unique parts of our historic environment.Money to fund repairs or adaptations to church buildings is raised by local churches mainly through fundraising and local giving. There is no central Government funding, except through grants in respect of VAT paid on repairs to listed churches.The following table for the Diocese of St Albans shows cases of metal theft or attempted theft since 2015. The Diocese covers the majority of the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire area and contains 380 Anglican churches. YearNumber of Attacks2015132016232017720181420195The Diocese provides advice to local churches on protective and preventative measures, including forensic marking and roof alarms, working with the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust and the Allchurches Trust. Grants of up to £3,000 per church have been made available to more than 55 churches in the Diocese. In addition the Diocesan Board of Finance allocated 29 roof alarm grants in 2017 and 2018 from small trust funds for church repairs and maintenance. As a result there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases of metal theft in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, though incidents still occur. For example, in June 2019 St Mary's Church in Furneux Pelham north east Hertfordshire, had 90% of its lead roof stolen or damaged over a single weekend.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Solid Fuels: Heating

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood in England, if he will place in the Library copies of all the data and reports his Department is using to inform the consultation in respect of non-PM2.5 toxic pollutants released when burning (a) smokeless briquettes, (b) wet wood, (c) dried wood and (d) house coal on open domestic fires in England; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Shipley, Philp Davies, on 20 June 2019, PQ UIN 263780.

Recycling

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on local authority recycling rates of combining business waste with household recycling statistics; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Municipal waste is the combination of household waste collected by local authorities and household-like business waste. The impact assessment on consistency of municipal recycling collections produced by the Government and the Waste and Resources Action Programme estimates a baseline recycling level of 40% for municipal waste. Measures announced in the Resources and Waste Strategy can increase the overall municipal recycling rate to 65%. Our consultation on ‘Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England’, which closed on 13 May, sought views on how to increase the quantity and quality of materials collected for recycling from businesses. We are analysing the responses to the consultation and will be publishing the Government’s response to it shortly.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of a deposit return scheme on the size of local authority household recycling collections; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The effect of a deposit return scheme (DRS) on household recycling collections is set out on page 32 of the DRS impact assessment: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environment/introducing-a-deposit-return-scheme/supporting_documents/depositreturnconsultia.pdf The Department has recently consulted on introducing a DRS. This closed on May 13, and the Impact Assessment will be updated in due course to reflect any new evidence received.

Pets: Death

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 259058, how many dead pets were collected from roads and paths, and what proportion of those pets were scanned by the relevant local authority.

David Rutley: The Government does not hold central information on the number of dead pets collected from roads and paths or the proportion that were scanned by the relevant local authority. However, Cats Protection provided briefing for the debate on 17 June which shows that according to their freedom of information request to councils in England, 80% of the 274 councils that replied scan cats involved in road accidents for a microchip.

Tree Planting

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to landowners to encourage tree planting.

David Rutley: I refer the Hon. Member to the reply previously given to the Hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme, Paul Farrelly, on 20 June 2019 to PQ 265458.

Zoos: Birds of Prey

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to extend Government guidance on the tethering of owls and vultures in zoos to all birds of prey.

David Rutley: The Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice already set clear requirements for the tethering of all birds of prey used for demonstrations in zoos. The zoo standards require that tethered birds of prey should be flown at least four times a week unless tethered for medical treatment; that no bird of prey should be tethered permanently, and that all birds of prey should be given the opportunity to fly or move around freely during part of the year. Resting birds of prey should also be provided with sufficient aviary space. Defra’s Zoos Expert Committee is currently considering revisions to the zoo standards as a whole.

Beef: Scotland

David Duguid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the Scotch beef sector of the (a) European Commission and (b) Irish Government's emergency support for the Irish beef sector.

David Rutley: Following careful consideration of evidence which demonstrated a sustained period of low prices, the European Commission took the decision to grant exceptional aid to the Irish beef sector. The Irish Government is entitled to provide additional money to match this fund under the same conditions which are linked to rebalancing the sector. At this stage it is too early to comment on what effect this has had on the markets, but my department continues to monitor the situation.

Pigmeat: USA

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received from (a) the US Administration and (b) lobbyists from the US pork production sector on the import of pork products from pigs fed with the additive ractopamine.

David Rutley: According to our records, the Secretary of State has not received any representations from the US on the import of pork products from pigs fed with the additive ractopamine.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest: National Parks

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to improve the quality of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in National Parks.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Our 25 Year Environment Plan commits to restoring 75% of our one million hectares of land and freshwater in protected sites to favourable condition including in National Parks. We will continue to provide funding for the positive management of Sites of Special Scientific Interests through our agri-environment schemes. In advance of the introduction of the new Environmental Land Management System, we are using our tests and trials programme as a means to work with farmers, land managers and stakeholders, including the National Parks so that they can contribute to the contents and design of the new system.

Plastics: Bottles

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with soft drinks manufacturers on phasing out single-use plastic bottles.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We have not had discussions on phasing out single use plastic bottles. However, as part of our wider consultation on the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks containers, we have been working closely with soft drinks manufacturers and other stakeholders on proposals aimed at boosting recycling rates, reducing littering and recovering high quality materials for reprocessing. The consultation closed on 13 May and we will issue a response in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Overtime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Information relating to unpaid overtime worked by staff is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union,  whether his Department offers employees a payroll deduction service to enable staff to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Kwasi Kwarteng: I can confirm my department currently does not have the facility to allow staff to join a credit union through payroll deductions. Staff can still make arrangements to contribute to a credit union via direct debit.

Attorney General

Prosecutions: Hyperactivity

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Attorney General, what steps his Department is taking with the legal profession to raise awareness of ADHD in the decision-making process on prosecutions.

Lucy Frazer: The Law Officers superintend the Crown Prosecution Service which has recently held a public consultation on its legal guidance on prosecuting offenders with mental health conditions and disorders, to ensure the decision-making process is as well-informed as possible.As part of that consultation, which closed on 4 June, the CPS will consider how best to reflect the responses received concerning ADHD in its legal guidance.

Attorney General: Overtime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.

Lucy Frazer: The Attorney General’s Office does not pay overtime, however the department does offer a flexi time policy to support time off in lieu on an individual basis. Flexi time is individually agreed with line managers to maintain working hours in line with the Working Time Regulations 1998. As there is no central record of working hours, the Attorney General’s Office has no accurate way to estimate any potential unpaid overtime worked by staff in the last 24 months without disproportionate cost.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Brexit

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement.

Alun Cairns: I engage frequently with Welsh Government Ministers on a range of issues including EU exit and No-Deal preparedness. Furthermore, the First Minister of Wales as well as the First Minister of Scotland has been invited by the Prime Minister to attend relevant meetings of a Cabinet sub-committee that brings together work on preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU, spanning both deal and no-deal outcomes. In addition to this officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the Welsh Government to discuss preparations for no-deal.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving IPP sentences have been released from each prison in each of the last eight years.

Robert Buckland: The table below shows the number of first releases from IPP sentences by establishment, England and Wales, 2015 – 2018. Please note that the releasing prison is not necessarily where risk reduction interventions have been undertaken. In many cases, prisoners may be transferred to participate in risk reduction work or other interventions, or moved nearer to their home area before release. Establishment2015201620172018All562576616506 Altcourse6436Ashfield****Askham Grange**0*Aylesbury0*00Bedford0*0*Belmarsh***0Berwyn....07Birmingham000*Blantyre House4......Bristol3***Brixton3443Bronzefield*0**Buckley Hall71164Bullingdon5710*Bure98117Cardiff*3**Channings Wood*9**Chelmsford00**Coldingley3*45Dartmoor5403Doncaster***0Dovegate4557Downview..00*Drake Hall****Durham453*East Sutton Park**3*Eastwood Park000*Elmley (Sheppey cluster)1151710Erlestoke7546Exeter0*00Featherstone7126*Ford131387Forest Bank7033Foston Hall0***Frankland000*Full Sutton000*Garth0**0Gartree*073Grendon/Spring Hill31171314Guys Marsh4*54Hatfield71699Haverigg8*40Hewell111263High Down0*4*Highpoint (North and South)4396Hindley00*0Hollesley Bay811109Holloway0*....Holme House3363Hull6465Humber75115Isle of Wight0356Kennet*0....Kirkham141084Kirklevington Grange5363Lancaster Farms5*74Leeds44*0Leicester0*4*Lewes9*4*Leyhill33515350Lincoln4346Lindholme71197Littlehey88148Liverpool9450Long Lartin*000Low Newton0*00Lowdham Grange0456Maidstone60*0Manchester453*Moorland9654Mount95103New Hall4*30North Sea Camp42424241Northumberland1612127Norwich57*3Nottingham04*4Oakwood7978Onley434*Parc7449Pentonville0*03Peterborough (Female)*000Peterborough (Male)0***Prescoed411108Preston0*00Ranby791111Risley1810610Rochester0***Rye Hill3***Send*000Stafford4354Standford Hill (Sheppey cluster)17222021Stocken1111123Stoke Heath*33*Styal00*0Sudbury514137Swaleside (Sheppey cluster)10377Swansea00**Swinfen Hall*5**Thameside****Thorn Cross1211611Usk04*4Wakefield0*3*Wandsworth**0*Warren Hill4223717Wayland4578Wealstun1067*Whatton14122222Woodhill*000Wormwood Scrubs*0*0Wymott11192119*An asterisk has been used to suppress values of two or less. This is to prevent the identification of individuals. Further disclosure control may be completed where this alone is not sufficient. It is important to remember that prisoners serving IPP sentences have committed serious sexual or violent offences and remain in prison because the independent parole board have assessed their risk of serious harm to the public to be too great to warrant their release. Prisoners who have served their minimum tariff have their suitability for parole reviewed by the Parole Board at least every 2 years Due to improvements in IT systems, detailed statistics are available from 2015 only and thereforepre-2015 figures for releases from IPP sentences broken down by establishment have not been included. Please note that:HMP Blantyre House was temporarily taken out of use from January 2015HMP Downview reopened in May 2016 after a period of refurbishment.HMP Holloway closed in May 2016HMP Kennet closed in December 2016HMP Berwyn opened in February 2017 HMP Peterborough is a dual purpose prison for men and women. '..' Indicates that the establishment was not in use during the entire period As with any large-scale recording system, administrative IT systems are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Data provided is a further breakdown from table A3.1 of the Annual Offender Management Statistics Quarterly bulletin: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/796917/releases-2018.ods The total number of first releases from IPP sentences for the years 2011 to 2014 are provided in the following table.2011201220132014300444470419

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the overall budget for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme was in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The table below shows the overall budget (excluding capital) for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each year since 2010-11. This comprises the budget received from the Ministry of Justice, income received from Scottish Government and income received through the victim surcharge. The reforms in 2012 and the current review are focused on protecting payments to those most seriously affected by their injuries, and ensuring the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is affordable and sustainable.  PeriodBudget2010-11£305,323,0002011-12£462,445,0002012-13£316,734,0002013-14£192,850,0002014-15£151,700,0002015-16£136,650,0002016-17£138,073,0002017-18£160,778,000

Homelessness

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many challenges have been made to decisions on intentional homelessness in each year since 2012.

Paul Maynard: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 June 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.A full answer cannot be provided as the data requested is not held by HMCTS.

Paul Maynard: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.A full answer cannot be provided as the data requested is not held by HMCTS.

Legal Representation: Homelessness

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many litigants have represented themselves in cases involving homelessness in each year since 2012.

Paul Maynard: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 June 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.A full answer cannot be provided as the data requested is not held by HMCTS.

Paul Maynard: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.A full answer cannot be provided as the data requested is not held by HMCTS.

Prisoners: Working Hours

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing 40 hours a week of work for prisoners.

Robert Buckland: Our aim is to, where appropriate, have as many prisoners as possible in a position to work both in custody and while on temporary release, to better prepare them for transition into the work place. Prison should provide offenders with the tools they need for successful rehabilitation, including work opportunities that prepare them for employment on release. For some prisoners however, other interventions such as education or health support will need to take priority over working. Prison Rules 1999 state that a convicted prisoner is required to do useful work for not more than 10 hours a day. In the year ending 2018, around 12,300 prisoners and detainees were working in custody at any one time. In addition to this, in the 12 months to March 2018, 2,224 risk-assessed prisoners were working in the community on ROTL. The number of hours worked by prisoners and detainees increased by 8% in the year to March 2018 with 17.2 million hours of work delivered in that year. Recognising the value of instilling a strong work ethic in prisoners and the positive impact that employment has on rates of reoffending, we have established the New Futures Network. The New Futures Network brokers partnerships between prisons and employers to improve employment outcomes for individuals whilst in prison and on release.

Speed Limits: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many speeding fines were collected in the (a) North Wales, (b) Dyfed Powys, (c) South Wales and (d) Gwent Police areas in the 2018-19 financial year.

Paul Maynard: Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) system captures data on the total amount of financial impositions collected but do not break that information down by offence type.It is not possible to determine the volume of speeding fines collected for the specified areas in Wales in the 2018-19 financial year without incurring disproportionate costs. This answer could only be provided by a manual search of all live and closed fine accounts.

Speed Limits: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much money accrued to the public purse in speeding fines collected in the (a) North Wales, (b) Dyfed Powys, (c) South Wales and (d) Gwent Police areas in the 2018-19 financial year.

Paul Maynard: Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) system captures data on the total amount of financial impositions collected but do not break that information down by offence type.It is not possible to determine the value of how much was collected for speeding fines for the specified areas in Wales in 2018-19 financial year without incurring disproportionate costs. This answer could only be provided by a manual search of all live and closed fine accounts.

Crimes of Violence: Emergency Services

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases have been prosecuted under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.

Paul Maynard: The number of individuals proceeded against and convicted of an assault against an emergency worker can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802035/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx. Using the pivot table, filter by ‘Offence’ for: `8.22 Assault against an emergency worker’.

Prison Service: Crimes of Violence

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total number of assaults on (a) prison officers, (b) prison educators, (c) prison instructors, (d) prison health-care staff and (e) other prison staff was across the prison estate in (i) 2012 (ii) 2018.

Robert Buckland: The Government publishes quarterly statistics on violence in prison, and a more detailed annual breakdown, and both are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-december-2018. The total numbers of assaults on staff in 2012 and 2018 can be found in table 3.1 of Assaults in prison custody 2000 to 2018, and table 3.8 gives a breakdown into assaults on officers and assaults on other staff. I regret that the way this data is recorded means it is not possible to provide the further breakdown requested without incurring disproportionate cost. The Government is taking unprecedented action to improve safety in prisons. We have recruited over 4,700 more prison officers since October 2016, and we now have the greatest number in post since early 2012. The Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan case management process for prisoners at risk of violence has been mandated for all prisons to help staff to manage violent prisoners and those identified as posing a raised risk of being violent. We are investing an extra £70 million to improve safety, security and decency, and equipping officers with PAVA incapacitant spray and body-worn cameras to help prevent serious harm to staff and prisoners when dealing with violent incidents. We are improving perimeter security and introducing new x-ray scanners, drug-detection dogs and dedicated search teams to address the supply of drugs that we know are fuelling much of the violence in custody.

Prisoners' Release

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) probation services and (b) community rehabilitation companies on the use of algorithms in relation to recall decisions following a breach of licence conditions.

Robert Buckland: All probation providers must adhere to the published Policy Framework on Recall, Review and Re-Release of Recalled Prisoners, including on the steps Responsible Officers must take to satisfy themselves that a recall request is appropriate. The Policy Framework also contains the ‘Recall Best Practice Guide: Working with Recalled Prisoners’ for use by all probation and prison staff involved in the recall process.The Policy Framework is available online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recall-review-and-re-release-of-recalled-prisoners

Community Rehabilitation Companies: Artificial Intelligence

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what process is used by his Department to monitor the use of algorithms by community rehabilitation companies.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice assesses the quality of alternative risk assessment tools proposed by Community Rehabilitation Companies and sets a number of conditions for approval including a requirement for ongoing research and evaluation to ensure the tool is fit for purpose. Under our proposals for future probation arrangements responsibility for undertaking risk assessment processes will sit with staff in the National Probation Service.We are still at the early stages of using algorithms in the criminal justice system, primarily as decision support tools to aid professional judgement. We have internal process in place to ensure we develop and roll-out algorithmic models appropriately and responsibly and are working with The Alan Turing Institute to make sure use of these models is ethical, safe and fairThese tools are one element of a number of measures for assessing the risk of re-offending: offender managers make robust risk assessments based on their professional expertise. The most complex cases, and those with the highest assessed risk of re-offending or causing harm, will attract the most intensive intervention. In all cases, the professional judgement of the offender manager is a key factor in deciding what measures are needed to manage an offender and prevent re-offending.

Domestic Abuse

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of the offence of coercive control under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 in each of the last three years.

Paul Maynard: Figures on the number of defendants convicted under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 in the last 3 years can be found in the ‘Outcomes by Offence data tool’, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802035/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx. Search ‘Offence’ for ‘8.21 - Engage in controlling/coercive behaviour in an intimate/family relationship.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) value and (b) proportion of employment tribunal fees have been refunded since those fees were abolished.

Paul Maynard: We have written to all claimants we believe are due a refund and the value of employment tribunal fees refunded as of 31 March is £17,296,733. This is approximately 54% of expected refund applications. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders to get the message out, including with trade unions who support and submit large multiple claims.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent from the public purse on notifying people that paid employment tribunal fees of their right to a refund.

Paul Maynard: The refund scheme was announced on 20th October 2017 through an article on the gov.uk website, letters to parliamentarians, and information disseminated through partners such as trades unions, the Law Society and the Citizens Advice. In April 2018, we wrote to everyone entitled to a refund and who had not yet applied, as well as interested MPs, to ensure they were aware of the scheme and how to apply. This was completed in July 2018. To complete this exercise, we employed an external delivery partner at the cost of £28,000. This does not include the time spent by MoJ officials on this task.

Prison Accommodation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average level of prison population above Certified Normal Accommodation capacity was in each of the prisons in the 10 Prisons Project in (a) the last six months of 2017 and (b) the last six months of 2018.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes monthly individual prison population and capacity information through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-population-statistics The table below shows the average level of prison population above Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA) capacity in each of the prisons in the 10 Prisons Project in the last six months of 2017 and 2018.Jul-Dec17Jul-Dec18Hull302281Humber10262Isis142143Leeds443358Lindholme8142Moorland5716Nottingham257186Ranby189176Wealstun10-3Wormwood Scrubs8075 CNA, or uncrowded capacity, is the Prison Service’s own measure of accommodation. CNA represents the good, decent standard of accommodation that the Service aspires to provide all prisoners. There are no prisons operating above their operational capacity in England and Wales. The operational capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Director on the basis of operational judgement and experience. In addition to a reduction in the national prison population, reductions in CNA have been seen across many prisons in England and Wales for a range of reasons, includingenabling maintenance to be performed and other operational reasons, such as part of the response to Urgent Notifications triggered by the Chief Inspector. The 10 Prisons Project aims to reduce violence in ten of our most challenging prisons by reducing the supply of drugs; restoring basic decency and providing the training and support for prison officers to challenge the behaviour that drives violence. The project received an initial £10 million funding to improve security and decency, and bolster leadership capability over a 12-month period.

Ministry of Justice: G4S

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many contracts his Department has awarded to G4S since July 2013; and what the value was of each of those contracts.

Robert Buckland: The information requested is included in the attached annex.



Annex
(Excel SpreadSheet, 10.21 KB)

Females: Prisoners

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of training for prison officers working with women with a mental health need.

Edward Argar: All Prison Officers complete the Prison Officer Entry Level Training which includes sessions on mental heallth, self-harm and suicide and personality disorder. There has very recently been the development of a new course specifically for the female estate called POWER – Positive Outcomes for Women: Empowerment & Rehabilition. This is a two-day programme and is due to be rolled out shortly across the estate. One of the modules specifically refers to mental health in the female estate, with an aim to ensure delegates gain an overview of the mental health needs of female offenders and how this impacts on offending – including understanding the main disorders found in women in prison; the challenges caused by psychosis and schizophrenia; and explores the personality disorder pathway and personality disorder services.

Courts: Sales

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the (a) market value of courts sold as part of HM Courts and Tribunal reform programme and (b) the resale value of those courts after they entered private ownership.

Paul Maynard: HMCTS achieves market value when selling surplus buildings and takes professional advice as part of the disposal process to make sure that this is the case. Sale receipts for court and tribunal buildings sold since 2016 are as followsPropertyReceipt (£)Abergavenny Magistrates Court499,809Barnstaple Magistrates' & County Court95,000Bolton Magistrates' Court750,000Bow County Court3,500,000Bracknell Magistrates' Court1,000,001Brecon Law Court575,000Bridgend Magistrates Court375,000Caerphilly Magistrates Court445,000Carmarthen Law Courts (The Guildhall)223,000Chester-le-Street Magistrates Court100,000Dolgellau Mags & Crown Court67,509Feltham Magistrates Court2,150,000Gloucester Western Road850,000Grantham Magistrates Court560,000Greenwich Magistrates Court12,005,000Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court43,000,000Holyhead Magistrates Court (North Anglsey),112,500Lambeth County Court100,000Liverpool, Dale Street Magistrates1,000,000Llangefni County Court72,000Neath And Port Talbot County Court250,000Northallerton Magistrates' Court450,000Pontypridd Magistrates Court350,000Rhyl County Court92,150Richmond Upon Thames Magistrates Court9,850,000Solihull Magistrates Court4,300,000Spalding Magistrates' Court278,350Tottenham (Enfield) Magistrates Court4,570,000Waltham Forest Magistrates Court3,471,040Watford Magistrates Court3,836,000Weston Super Mare Magistrates' Court116,078Woolwich County Court2,555,000 The table above excludes transfers of surplus properties to other government departments (such as Homes England) as these are not categorised as sale transactions, but as internal transfers within government. Since the start of the Reform Programme all money raised from the sale of surplus buildings has been reinvested in the reform of HM Courts & Tribunals Service.HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold information on the resale value of former court and tribunal buildings. HM Courts and Tribunals Service does however monitor resale values in instances that could yield overage. As with any property, details of any subsequent sales can be obtained from the Land Registry.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, by what year will each person entitled to an employment tribunal fee refund have received one.

Paul Maynard: The MoJ is committed to allowing every person who is entitled to a refund to apply for one. We are unable to predict the year in which all of the refunds will have been made. This is because it is dependent on those eligible coming forward to claim a refund. We have taken a wide range of proactive steps to publicise the refund scheme, including through the gov.uk website, letters to parliamentarians, and information disseminated through partners such as trades unions, the Law Society and the Citizens Advice. From April 2018, we wrote to everyone entitled to a refund and who had not yet applied, as well as interested MPs, to ensure they were aware of the scheme and how to apply. We will continue to monitor the progress of the refund scheme going forward.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department offers employees a payroll deduction service to enable them to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Dowden: The Cabinet Office does not currently offer its employees a payroll deduction service to join the Credit Union.

Huawei: 5G

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2019 to Question 270401, whether the number of operators who use Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre advice is collated and monitored centrally.

Mr David Lidington: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) engages with every operator who uses the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) to manage cyber security risks withintheir networks. The number of operators that use HCSEC is recorded centrally but for commercial reasons we will not release the number or the names of operators. All of thesignificant commercial networks in the UK who use Huawei have access to and work with the HCSEC. It is the responsibility of operators to ensure the security and resilience oftheir networks. Other operators may use the guidance that is publicly available on the NCSC website, which we cannot track, or advice from other relevant bodies such as Ofcom, the regulator.

Cabinet Office: Public Appointments

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2019 to Question 255390, whether strategic oversight for the collection and use of data held by Government departments provided by the cross-government Data Advisory Board, chaired by the Chief Executive of the Civil Service, is a permanent​ arrangement.

Oliver Dowden: Yes. The cross-government Data Advisory Board, chaired by the Chief Executive of the Civil Service, is a permanent board that provides strategic oversight for the collection and use of data held by Government departments.

Elections

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has plans to implement the Law Commission’s recommendation to consolidate the UK’s electoral laws into a single, consistent legislative framework governing all elections.

Kevin Foster: The Government is continuing to work with the Law Commission, as well as other stakeholders such as the Electoral Commission, to consider ways to streamline and clarify our electoral system in order to make elections easier to administer and therefore more resilient to errors or fraud. We will consider their proposals in full once we receive the Law Commission’s final report.

European Parliament: Elections

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made on the assessment of the reasons that EU citizens living in the UK were unable to register and vote in the 2019 European Parliament elections.

Kevin Foster: In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into the administration of the polls later this year. The Government will consider this in due course.

European Parliament: Elections

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission on EU citizens being unable to vote in the 2019 European Parliament elections.

Kevin Foster: Ministers and officials meet frequently with external officials to discuss a wide range of electoral issues.Details of external meetings by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries are published quarterly and are available on gov.uk.

European Parliament: Elections

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the level of voter turnout of EU citizens living in the UK at the 2019 European Parliament elections.

Kevin Foster: Data on voting rates per nationality in the 2019 European elections is not collected centrally.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into the administration of the polls later this year. The Government will consider this in due course.